Lost in the Dark
by AbbyF809
Summary: A tale of how Red and Lizzie survived the months after the fire. Not as action packed as I normally write my stories but loads of Angst ahead:) Nore: Might get slightly AU, since I am working with very few facts about their pasts:)
1. Chapter 1

Alright guys...I am sorry this took me so long ti start posting...I was kinda busy and the writing has been coming a long a bit slower than I wanted it to. With my vacation coming up soon, I hope I will be able to post as much of this story as I can, so I'll stop blabbering now and give ya the Prologue first;)

A quick thank you to Jonesy813 though:) I wouldnt have posted this story without your help:)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own The Blacklist or the characters. I am also not earning any money with this story!

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Prologue

Desperation was pumping through his veins with every beat of his heart. He could still feel the heat burning him and his skin melting with it, peeling off of his back. The pain was excruciating but the small whimpering from the child next to him kept him from fainting and be overwhelmed by the pain.

"It's alright, sweetheart. Soon you will be safe." His voice was deep and scruffy, but the sound seemed to convey at least a little bit of comfort since the crying was reduced to sniffles and then to a heavy breathing. The little girl's dark hair was nestled in the black cushions of his car and one hand was clinging to the material of his pants.

"I hurt my daddy…" the girl whimpered through the remaining tears and sniffles. Raymond Reddington was quick to shush her and squeeze her hand in comfort.

"No, you did not, sweetheart. This was not you. Do you hear me? This was not your fault."

The girl's big blue eyes bore into his and he knew she was looking for a lie. But she didn't find it. It has not been her fault. She was only a child, which was born into a twisted family. Trained from the first day on earth to be cautious and think on her feet. To observe and react. To memorize the good and especially the bad.

It was not her fault.

She nodded and seemed satisfied with his statement. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and fell asleep within minutes.

Sighing deeply, he drove on. With one hand he took out a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number he hadn't used for far too long. On the fourth ring, a sleepy voice answered.

"This better be good."

"Sam? It's Ray. I need a favor from you," Ray whispered.

"Ray? Raymond Reddington?" The man on the other side of the line sounded awake now and positively surprised. "Wow. It's been a while since we talked. What can I do for you? I still owe you one." He chuckled but it didn't register with Reddington.

"Yeah…I am going to visit you. I will be there in about two hours." He inhaled deeply, looking sideways to the still sleeping girl. "I will bring company. Make sure you have a full first aid kit at hand."

"W…what? What happened, Ray?" Sam asked, worry evident in his tone.

"I will tell you in person. No one needs to know about this, understood?" The silence on the line made Reddington scowl, but when Sam answered, his expression relaxed.

"Of course. You can trust me."

"I know." Reddington breathed and ended the call. He felt as if he was driving into a black hole. Into the unknown, the end of his old life. He wasn't aware of how right he was.

tbc...

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Let me know what ya think of this tidbit;) I know it is not a lot yet but more will follow either today or tomorrow:)


	2. At first glance

Here comes the first chapter:)

I wont be talking too much...just letting you read it;)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (for details see Prologue)

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Chapter 1

Sam hurried to the door, the moment he heard the car stopping in his driveway. It was still dark outside and the cold wind was howling around the house like an angry banshee. When he opened the door and made the first step onto his front porch, his legs almost gave out from under him. Raymond Reddington with a little girl in his arms.

"My lord, Raymond." Sam's face became pale and his hands started to shake. "Are you out of your mind? A child?"

"You don't know what's going on, Sam, so please just spare me your lecture for now." he warned.

His old friend was walking towards him with a slight limp, keeping his arms wound tightly around the girl he was carrying and which was starting to cry against his shoulder.

"It's alright, sweetheart." He pressed through his clenched teeth, maneuvering them both through the door into the house and the cluttered corridor, meeting Sam at a door that was most likely leading into his bedroom.

"Is she hurt?" Sam breathed quietly, adding a moment later: "Are you hurt?"

Reddington didn't answer, only followed Sam into the room and bent down over the bed, slowly letting the girl sink into the blankets and onto the pillow. Keeping his hand at her neck until she was properly lying down. He smiled down at her when he pulled back and found her blue, wet eyes fixed on his face.

"You rest here for a moment, alright?" He told her quietly and waited for a nod or some kind of acknowledgment that never came though.

"Elizabeth?" Reddington tried again.

"Is that her name, Ray?" Sam's voice cut through the air and his friend sighed, while lightly pushing his fingers through the girl's dark hair.

"Yes and she burned her wrist." He answered, not turning away from Elizabeth but indicating with his right hand the injured limb. She didn't seem to be reacting to Sam's voice at all, but Reddington didn't have time to think about this for now. Carefully he straightened his back and turned to his friend. "Did you prepare your first aid kit, Sam?"

Reddington could see that his friend wasn't satisfied with his lack of answers, but frankly, he was in too much pain and too confused right now to worry about his friends state of mind in addition to Elizabeth's and his own. Looking around the room, he noticed it being quiet dark, although Sam had lit up the two old fashioned bedside lamps. The wallpapers were olive colored and the carpet under his feet was stabbing his eyes painfully with its ugly dark green color. There was almost no furniture in the room besides the king sized bed and one small chair in the corner, right next to a sad looking bookshelf.

"I would suggest you sit down beside her while I bandage this burn."

Reddington hadn't even realized that Sam had left the room when he entered again, waving a bag around. Walking back to the bed, Redington lowered himself at the girl's side and took her uninjured hand in his own. She was only four years old. Just a slip of a girl caught in a family tragedy that would haunt her for the rest of her life. And his.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sam asked suddenly, and for a second Ray didn't know whom he was asking, but when he felt the burn of his old friends gaze on him he sighed. "I will be for a few more minutes." He answered.

Sam nodded and took out a salve from his first aid kit he was rummaging through only moments before. Squinting in the poor light, he read the label and nodded, putting the tube aside and selecting clean bandages and a gauze. Having found everything he thought he would need for now, Sam put the box on the floor and turned to the girl, smiling when he saw her gaze fixed on Raymond Reddington's hand holding hers. "Elizabeth?"

Though it was obvious that she had heard him since her head titled slightly, she didn't turn or move her eyes to his. Sam glanced at Reddington, who simply shrugged, not in any mood to play twenty questions.

When Sam reached out and his fingers touched the girl's skin, a wail came out of her mouth equal to a keening that made both men flinch in unison and reach for Elizabeth to comfort her. When she threw herself back and collided painfully with the wooden headboard, Reddington winced inwardly and didn't wait for her to make another move, but closed his arms around her trembling body and pulled her into his own, holding the back of her head with his hand against his chest.

"It's ok." His silky voice flowed out of his mouth like honey. "Calm down, sweetheart. No one's going to hurt you here." Starting a caressing motion through her hair, he repeated his words over and over again, until the girl finally calmed down enough and only her ragged breathing was heard.

"See? Everything is alright." he added and smiled down at her when he drew back slightly and with one finger under her chin, raised her head to look into her eyes. His smile fell though, when he saw the expression on it. A mix of pain and fear. "What is it?" He asked quietly, not looking away from her. She hesitated but then her uninjured hand loosened its grip on his shirt and drifted to her own chest, rubbing it with a small fist. Reddington furrowed his brows, not understanding yet what she was trying to tell him.

"It hurts."

Elizabeth's voice was a mere whisper and if it hadn't been dead silent in the room, he would have missed it. His scowl deepened when the weight of what she'd said registered with him. His hand closed over hers, still lying on her chest and he squeezed it gently.

"Does it hurt here?"

At her timid nod, he let go of her hand and pulled some strands of dark hair from her face.

"Can you do me a favor, honey? Can you breathe in very deeply? Like the wolf that wants to blow away the piglet's house?" A questioning look spread over her face and he chuckled. "I'll read that story to you one day." Still smiling he laid his hand on her shoulder. "Now can you breathe in, please?"

He saw her prepare herself for that task and he had to hold back another chuckle, seeing the concentration on her face, but when she started coughing violently when she was just halfway through taking in her breath he scowled, patting her back gently and when the coughs finally stilled, stroked it in a circular motion.

"What happened to you two?" Sam's whisper penetrated Raymond Reddington's wildly spinning thoughts. Deciding to answer his friend, Rhe tried to find words that wouldn't upset the girl that was fighting the tears gathering in her eyes any further.

"There was a fire. We made it out just in time to survive." he whispered.

"A fire?" Sam asked, his eyes widening. "How did the fire start? Where have you been?" Reddinton gave him a pointed look and shook his head.

"I'll tell you later." Suddenly he grinned softly and looked down to Elizabeth. "First we need to bandage this wrist of yours and make you comfortable to rest a little bit, right?" The girl didn't react, but Reddington didn't mind too much for now. He took the supplies from Sam and started to apply the salve on the angry burn on the inside of her wrist. The small whimpers the girl emitted were minimal to the pain she must be feeling and Reddinton started to talk again while reaching for the gauze.

"So, my lady. What kind of dinner would you like to have before going to bed? I am sure Sam could pull something really nice out of his magic hat. He is a real magician when it comes to cooking, you know?" He felt proud of himself when he saw Elizabeth's eyes starting to twinkle and grow wide with amazement, shooting Sam curious glances.

"Like…like chocolate pudding?" she asked, leaning closer to the man, still working on her wrist, as if she didn't want Sam to hear her question. When Reddington laughed heartily, she suddenly smiled for the first time that night. A small smile, but it was one that he was overjoyed to see.

"I am sure Sam could find some magic ingredients for that. Right Sam?" Both he and Elizabeth refocused their attention to the man observing them intently, wonder in his expression.

"Right…" he stuttered but smiled. "I'm right on it."

When the door closed behind him, Reddington fastened off the bandage and stroked tenderly over the girls injured arm. "Soon it will stop to hurt." He told her, making her nod immediately. "You do need to do me another favor, though." He whispered, lowering his head, so that he could look the girl directly in the eyes. He waited until she nodded again and then started to speak seriously. "Try not to take any deep breaths anymore and do not move too much. No lifting of heavy objects, alright?"

She hesitated and her eyes switched nervously to the plush bunny lying next to her on the bed. She had been attached to that stuffed animal from the moment he found her hiding in the closet.

"Is Bunny too heavy?"

Reddington laughed at the worried look on her face. As grown up as she sometimes seemed, other times she was simply a sweet, adorable little girl.

"No, sweetheart. Bunny is just fine." He stroked her hair once and then started to rise from the bed but noticed the scowl on her face immediately. "I am just going to be in the next room talking to Sam, alright? You stay in bed and make yourself at home." Patting her hand gently, he walked past some old boxes on the floor and walked out of the room, shooting the girl still sitting in bed a comforting smile before closing the door behind him.

"The pudding will be done in a minute and then I will attend to your injuries." Sam told him when he saw his friend coming out of the room. Reddington just nodded, looking deeply in thought and Sam didn't inquire any further for now. He knew there was a long story behind this situation and he also knew there would be consequences to it and he feared that by taking those two in tonight, he pulled himself into the mess.

Stirring the pudding a few more times, he blew on it to cool it down at least slightly and filled it into a bowl, leaving a little bit of the dessert for himself and Reddington. Grabbing a spoon from the sink, Sam made his way to the room the girl was surely waiting in and stepped inside. He was met by an untrusting and penetrating stare that didn't leave him for a second while he walked closer.

"Here you go, Elizabeth. I hope you like vanilla pudding. I didn't have any chocolate left." He held the bowl in Elizabeth's direction but she didn't take it, alternating between still staring at him and then looking longingly at the bowl. Sam sighed, moving to the bedside table. "I will put it here, ok? You can eat it whenever you want."

Leaving the bowl on the table, Sam slowly retreated to the door but was stopped in his tracks when a small "thank you" drifted into his ears. He smiled and turned around. "You're welcome."

Minutes later, Sam had his friend sitting on a wooden chair with his chest pressed into the backrest. He had taken off his jacket but when Sam gasped and sent a quick prayer to the lord above, Reddington stopped his movements.

"How does it look?" he asked, his voice not even wavering. Sam let out a gasping huff before answering, a hand on his head, afraid that it would actually fall off to avoid looking at the sight before him.

"Well…if you don't want to be attached to your shirt for the rest of your life, we should call a doctor and let him peel the material off of that mess you call your back." Sam sighed.

Reddington inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "We need to call a doctor." He stated matter of factly, which surprised Sam, who was still trying his best to hold back the bile rising in his throat. What he was seeing in front of him was a blood soaked white shirt with bits of charred holes where the material seemed to have molded with the skin beneath it.

"Oh yeah…you really do need a doctor." With two strides Sam had reached his phone and was about to dial the town doctors emergency number, when the man on the chair spoke again.

"Not just for me."

Sam's fingers stopped their movements and he questioningly looked at his friend, although he knew that he couldn't see him right now. "What do you mean? The girl is alright. The little burn on her hand will leave a nasty scar, yes, but it's not life threatening."

The heavy silence between them did nothing to calm Sam's nerves that were becoming more strained by the second. "What is it?" He asked again, rounding the chair Reddinton was sitting on and looked him in the face. The dark circles under his friends eyes were now even darker and deeper, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"She was in the house longer than me. She inhaled too much smoke. A doctor needs to check out her lungs."

tbc...

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Please let me know what ya think! I LOVE to read your comments!:)


	3. Story of my Life

Hey there:)

Here comes the second chapter:)

I know there is no action there, but we do have to get all the story background out first, right?;)

Hope you like it and I wanna thank every single one of you who wrote me a comment and follows the story! I am like SOOO thrilled to see you guys enjoying what my brain comes up with:)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine(for detail, see prologue)

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Chapter 2

His back wasn't hurting anymore. It was more like a tingle now and a sharp sting from time to time. Maybe it was his military training that had taught him to select the feeling of pain and throw it out the window, or maybe it was simply the adrenaline that was still pumping in his veins. Or maybe, it was something completely different. He was caught up too deep in his thoughts to hear Sam's repeating sighs and shuffles while he paced around the room. The pacing had started after he hung up the phone, talking to the town doctor and now, ten minutes later, haven't stopped even for a minute.

Meanwhile, Reddington was reviewing his actions of the night. The situations that he had found himself in and the choices he had made. Taking the girl with him has been a stupid thing to do really. At least that was what his brain was telling him. He was putting himself in danger. Putting a target on his back, what was left of it at least, and those of his family. If the people, which were trying to find the Fulcrum, would find out that the girl was with him, they would have him on their to-find-and-kill-list in no time. And they would find him. And they would find his family. Take Elizabeth away, kill him and his family, get the information they needed and then kill her too.

Reddington sighed heavily. To his surprise, his heart was saying something completely different. Leaving the girl in that house would have been almost as cruel as putting a gun to her head and killing her. Even worse. Death by burning was one of the most painful things a person could die of and this innocent child had done nothing wrong, but to be curious and smart, able to do exactly what her father had asked of her. Being a very smart girl made her even more dangerous for the people looking for her and Reddington could not imagine what they would do if they actually got their hands on her. Maybe they wouldn't kill her after all. Maybe they would use her. Form her into a weapon. A tool. She was a quick study and she would be a deadly weapon if trained right.

No, Elizabeth was innocent. She was a child that needed love and guidance. Red's eyes softened when he thought of his own daughter, waiting for him at home. Her beautiful eyes and her soft locks. Her powdery smell he still felt lingering in his nose. He hadn't seen her for over a month already and he missed her like crazy.

Only a few more days my baby girl, he thought, a dreamy expression on his face.

The loud knocking at the door let him flinch back into the here and now and when Sam's hurried footsteps left the room, Reddington smiled in relief. At least for a moment the nerve wrecking sounds had stopped. The smile faded immediately when two sets of feet trampled closer and stopped right behind him.

"Good lord, what happened to you?" a female voice gasped and Red closed his eyes in defeat. Why did it have to be a woman? Women were good for children psyches after a traumatic event, but they asked entirely too many questions for a child that was actually on the run and trying to hide. Or better said, too many questions for the person trying to hide the child.

"I angered a hell of a woman." Reddington finally answered, chuckling while saying it.

"Well…" the woman chuckled back, surprising him. "…she made a hell out of your back."

Reddington's eyebrows shot up and he tried to turn his head to look at the woman behind him, but a hiss of pain ended his attempt.

"I guess that is my cue to start the examination." The woman told them and Reddington felt the cool breeze when she walked closer to him.

"May I know your name?" he asked, grinning slightly. Although obviously irritating, he was starting to like the woman. He could never find anything interesting in women that were only able to agree with men or were too shy to ask for anything. A good mixture of bold but adorable was more to his liking.

"Of course." She said and poked him painfully in the back. "My name is Susan Lorry." She poked him again and Red couldn't hold back another hiss, closing his eyes to fend of the dark spots dancing in front of them. "Would you mind being a little bit more careful, Miss Lorry? This actually hurts."

A chuckle was the only answer he got and he felt the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance. For a while, there was silence and Reddington imagined that Lorry was studying his back thoroughly, maybe narrowing her eyes, scrunching up her nose…

"Mhhh…this is not a nice picture back here, you know?"

"Good that I can't see it then." Reddington quipped, trying not to move too much.

Lorry shifted her weight slightly and looked over his shoulder into his grim face.

"You have burns of mostly second degree, which wouldn't be too bad if it weren't in full thickness." She paused, looking back at the burned skin. "Which means that it will scar. Sensation might be affected. An educated guess of mine is, that that is the only reason you are still conscious. I can't tell you yet if you will be in need of skin transplantation or excision. You will need rehabilitation for sure though." She stopped talking and sighed deeply, before adding: "It's gonna be a painful road you have ahead of you."

Reddington only nodded and when the doctor walked around standing in front of him, he saw her for the first time. She was petite, had fire red hair and a round face that harbored green eyes that currently were full of concern and compassion.

"What can you do for now?" he finally asked, looking away from the woman's gaze. He didn't need her sympathy, only her doing her job.

"Give you painkillers and try to peel of that shirt with minimal damage."

"Do it."

I will give you a local anesthetic, otherwise you will get a heart attack I am afraid."

Again, a chuckle bubbled up in Reddington and the thought of setting in shock crossed his mind, but when a sharp pain tore through his back and seemed to penetrate his body, he groaned loudly and clenched his teeth.

"You could have warned me." He roared at the doctor, who had rammed a needle into his back and injected him with the anesthetic.

"You would have squirmed." She told him sternly. "This will take a few minutes to set in. You said something about a girl?" she asked, turning to Sam, who was silently watching both of them from his sitting position on his sofa. He nodded mutely and stood up, attempting to lead her into the room where Liz was, but his friend's hand shot out and gripped his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Don't scare her."

"Me?" Sam questioned incredulously.

"You know what I mean." Reddington admonished. He would have preferred to lead the lady to Liz himself, but his back was starting to get numb and he didn't know if it wasn't effecting his walking style and he didn't want to scare Elizabeth by walking in like Quasimodo. "Just be gentle."

Sam nodded reassuringly at him and patted his hand.

"I'll even play the clown if I need to." He told him and made him laugh, albeit painfully.

When they neared the door, Lorry stayed behind Sam, letting him go in first. After knocking softy, he opened the door and poked in his head, surprised to see a wide-awake Elizabeth sitting in the bed and clutching her bunny to her chest. Sam glanced at the bowl standing next to her on the table and smiled. It was empty and scraped clean. The girl must have been very hungry, Sam thought, coming closer to the bed. Slowly he turned sideways and gestured to the woman behind him.

"Elizabeth, this is Doctor Lorry." He introduced her. "She would like to examine you, is that ok?"

The girl didn't answer but her blue eyes shifted to Lorry and she stared at her for a moment, obviously trying to decide if she could trust her or not.

"Where is Mister Red?" she asked in a small voice, hugging the stuffed animal even tighter to herself. Sam chuckled at the shortening of Ray's surname and stepped closer, now standing directly beside the bed.

"He is in the living room. He has been hurt and needs to sit still for a moment. Doctor Lorry already examined him."

The skeptical look she gave them, told Sam that this wouldn't go over without a discussion or a fight.

"Can I see him?" she, still politely, asked but her eyes were now intently staring at the door and her body was beginning to tense up as if she was preparing to bolt any second.

Sam decided to play along. Reddington told him not to frighten her and if that was the only way, then he would go along with it.

"Of course, just let me tell him that you are coming, alright?"

Sam gestured to Lorry to follow him and when they came out of the room, they found Reddington glaring at them.

"What did you do?" he asked, amusement swinging in his voice, mixed with a little bit of apprehension.

"She wants to see you. I told her you were hurt."

Reddington rolled his eyes at Sam's explanation.

"Why did you tell her I was hurt? She didn't need to know that."

"I wouldn't want to start our…acquaintance with lies." Sam told him, tapping his foot against the wooden floor impatiently. At his friend's smirk, Sam shrugged his shoulders quickly and smirked back.

"I do want to get to know her a little better before she gets to know me and runs for the hills."

Reddington huffed and laughed throatily at his friend's explanation.

"Oh Sam…you sell yourself too short, believe me." He paused, his eyes and expression turning serious. "You would be a great father." Reddington told him, nodding slightly.

Before Sam could replay, soft footsteps turned their attention behind Lorry, who was leaning against the wall while listening to the men. When the soft voice behind her started to talk, she turned around as well, to see the little girl she met only seconds ago, standing there and staring at Reddington.

"Red? You have boo-boo?"

Red smiled, although he shot Sam a puzzled look after hearing the name the girl had given him. Stiffly rising from the chair and buttoning an open button on his shirt, he just hoped Elizabeth wouldn't walk behind him and see the state of it. Slowly he inched closer to her and held out a hand, which she took immediately.

"I am ok, sweetheart, don't worry. Did you meet doctor Lorry already?" he asked, patting her hand in comfort when she pressed herself against his leg, obviously trying to hide behind it. She nodded at his question, but didn't show any sign of wanting to talk to anyone.

"There is no need to be afraid, honey. This nice lady won't hurt you. She is just going to see if you are alright after the fire." Sam explained softy, putting a hand on Lorry's arm to show the girl that the woman was posing no danger.

The girls head rose and she looked at Red questioningly.

"He's right, Elizabeth." He assured her, grimacing only slightly when he crouched down to be at her eyelevel. He looked into her eyes and was taken aback by the tears in them. "What's wrong, sweetheart? You can trust me, you know that, right?"

Although she nodded, she took a step closer to him and her arms rose and wound around his neck to hug him, burying her head in his neck. Red was overjoyed that the anesthetic had already started to numb his back when he felt the girls trusted companion, the bunny, hit his scorched skin.

"What's the matter, Elizabeth?" he asked through gritted teeth, hoping she wouldn't notice the pain in his tone.

The loud sniffle was tearing his heart into pieces, but when she started to breath very heavily and a rattling, wet noise drifted to his ears in between her crying, the worry overweight the sadness.

"You need to calm down and let the doctor check you out, Elizabeth."

At her frantic head shaking, he pulled back from her slightly and looked into her face.

"What's the matter? Are you scared of her? She won't harm you."

She didn't answer but her gaze shifted to the woman and Red could see her considering her options.

"I'll stay with you, alright?" he offered and it seemed like this had been the right thing to say, since the girl finally nodded and dried her tears with the stuffed animal.

Red gave her another bright smile and raised himself into a standing position with only a slight grimace. Still holding Elizabeth's hand, he stepped to Lorry and looked at her expectantly.

"Did you hear that? Those sounds her lungs make." he asked and pointed to the girl at his side. Lorry's expression was one of great concern and she nodded her head. No, those sound in this girls lungs were anything but normal and the doctor already had a suspicion what it might be, but she needed to examine the girl to be absolutely sure about it.

"Let's get you on the couch, Elizabeth." Lorry said gently. "Red might want to sit down while I check you out, too."

Together they made the way to the well-used, brown couch and once Elizabeth was seated on it, feet dangling from it and Red carefully seated beside her, the doctor stuck the earpieces of her stethoscope into her ears and started to listen to the girl's chest. When her frown started to deepen, Red cleared his throat and stared at her meaningfully.

"My dear, would you mind coughing for me." Lorry asked Elizabeth and smiled when the girl complied immediately. When her smile vanished again, Red couldn't wait any longer.

"So, doctor? What is your verdict?"

Lorry cleared her voice, gave the girl another smile and stood back up.

"Would you go with me into your room, honey?" Lorry addressed the girl in front of her, trying to smile at her reassuringly. "I would like to examine you a little more, but you need to lie down for it. I am sure Raymond will be alright for a while without you."

Elizabeth scrunched up her face upon hearing the man's name. It was almost as weird as her own. Too long and just a mouthful. Her other name was much easier but daddy had forbidden her to say it out loud ever again. And she wouldn't disobey. Her eyes wandered to Red and searched his face to see what he wanted her to do. This man was making her feel warm and safe and she was sure that he would protect her. So in her mind, there was no way she would let this man get away from her as easily as once her mommy disappeared.

"Will you be ok?" she asked timidly, her wide eyes staring at him and she could not understand why his eyes were filling with tears. Did she say something wrong?

Red inhaled deeply, not wanting to let the people in front of him see how deeply the girl's words had touched him. Shrugging a mask onto his features, he gave Elizabeth a tight smile and nodded. His fingers were inching to hold her, to comfort her and himself, but he refused himself this luxury. There would be time for it, but it wasn't here yet. He watched Lorry taking Liz' hand and leading the reluctant girl into the bedroom, talking quietly to her.

"She is really something, Ray." Sam said, while sitting down beside his friend. Leaning back, he relaxed his muscles consciously and observed Reddington intently. "You don't know what to do, do you?" Silence met his question and Sam shook his head in frustration. "What happened? You owe me at least a summary of what happened." His tone was getting harder and louder, but he didn't let his irritation be heard. The situation was sensitive and awkward enough for everyone. He saw Red's nerve twitch under his eye and he knew. He knew that his friend was at a crossroad, he had no idea what to do about. Obviously, he was on the run right now and alone by calling him and asking for help, Sam had been pulled into the mess and it seemed like the man had just realized that and was now not able to look him in the eye anymore.

"Ray." Sam tried again, now speaking softly, almost in a whisper. "You are here now and I won't let you down, no matter what has happened, but you need to tell me what to prepare for."

"We need to protect her, Sam."

It wasn't much, but Sam was happy that his friend at least started to talk to him.

"We will." He assured him, hoping it would make him say more. "From whom?"

Reddington abruptly turned to him and Sam could see the cogs turning in his head until it seemed as if it was steaming. When he slumped his shoulders slightly, Sam knew he had won and the man would tell him what had happened.

"I will not insult you by explaining to you, how dangerous this knowledge will be for you. I am sure you know that already." Red started haltingly. After glancing at Sam, he continued.

"After you left, I was partnered with Sarah Crown." He stopped and smirked when he saw Sam gaping at him. "You can close your mouth now, Sam. The woman wasn't as mysterious as we have assumed." When Sam closed his mouth with a snap, Red didn't let him get a word in before continuing. "She was more dangerous instead. She had contacts high up in political ranks and there is one thing they want so badly they will kill anyone for it." Red paused, grimacing when he felt his shoulder going numb from the anesthetic. "Did you ever hear about the Fulcrum when you were still in the Naval Intelligence?"

Sam seemed to be thinking hard for a moment but only shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"I thought so. I was informed that it contains blackmail information about some of the highest ranking officers and politicians in the world and information on the world's most notorious criminals."

"Who created it?" Sam asked, leaning elbows onto his knees.

"Elizabeth's father." Red answered gravely.

"Who is her father?" By the darkening expression on Red's face, Sam could tell that the answer wouldn't be as easy as he would have liked.

"I am sure you remember David Hall."

"Yes I do. He turned on us years ago. I believe he married this Russian model and disappeared."

Red chuckled humorlessly, closing and opening his right fist, trying to maintain at least some kind of feeling in his arm.

"He didn't disappear. I had a mole following him over the years. And he didn't turn on us. He had been a criminal from the get go. He was simply having an adventure working for us." Again, a chuckle burst from his lips. "No one thought he would start gathering information not only on the so called good guys, but also the bad guys."

"But they found out." Sam concluded.

"Oh yeah. Both sides did. Elizabeth turned two when her mother, a model but also a KGB spy, left her daughter and husband."

"Was she killed?"

"No. When David found out he was being followed and on the list to take out, he took his pregnant wife and ran. For two years they were living a life of nomads and had more than one close call. David fell into a deep whirlpool of depression, drugs and alcohol, hoping to improve his situation by simply making it even worse. He got greedy. He wanted to possess everything and everyone around him and there was no…." Red stopped for a moment, swallowing hard. "…he didn't treat his wife as a man is supposed to. She finally left. Leaving her daughter with a monster. While running, she met some American agents from the naval intelligence. Telling them where to find her husband and their daughter. In exchange, she was to be left untouched."

"Why didn't you notify our boss? They would have gotten the girl out."

Red let his head hang down and closed his eyes for a moment.

"That is something I will hate myself for the rest of my life, Sam. I wanted David for myself. I wanted to be the one to catch him. Me personally. I misjudged the situation."

Red scoffed at himself and turned away from his friend. He listened for a moment to make sure that he could still hear the low voices from the bedroom. Satisfied, he turned to his friend and shook his head.

"For a few months I lost contact with my mole and didn't know what had been going on and I couldn't believe it when Sarah came to me one day, telling me that they had his location and we were supposed to kill David. By the time concrete plans were made, I have found out that David had an affair with her. She had been on the search team for years, before they met and somehow...well…got together. The high and mighty found out and gave her a choice. Either she kills him to get the Fulcrum or her parents would die in an accident. She didn't believe them. And then her father died." Red paused, scratching his head. "While he was hiking, a bear got his pranks on him. At least that is the official version. It was a week later that she came to me and told me we had a new assignment. I was finally able to contact my mole and I wouldn't have minded having David taken down, but I couldn't stand the thought of endangering his daughter. I tipped him off. Elizabeth wasn't supposed to be in the house when we came in."

Sam stared at the man next to him in disbelieve.

"They didn't care if his daughter would see her father die?"

"No." Reddington's voice became as deep as the unknown depths of the ocean. "We were supposed to kill her too."

tbc...

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Please let me know what ya think:) I'm kinda nervous


	4. Story of our Lifes now

Hey there:)

Here comes anozher chapter and I really hope you won't find it too lame or anythng. I just needed to get the last of fact-telling out of my system:) at least for now!:)

I would like to thank every single person that is taking the time to read my story and to review. Guys, the reviews for this story are just beautiful! Thank you so much for that. It makes me smile everytime I even think of them!

Now...let me start with the chapter:)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine(for details, see Prologue)

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Chapter 3

"This is insane!" Sam called out, jumping to his feet.

"Keep your voice down." Red growled from his sitting position, glaring at his friend. Both became quiet and listened for any sounds of distress from the bedroom, but the only thing they could hear, was murmuring. Red let out a sigh of relief and looked back at Sam.

"It is not insane." He continued their conversation quietly. "While on the way to his house, I saw the information they had received from Katarina. This girl in there is four years old and has an intellect of a fifteen year old. At least in some areas. She has been living with her father and I can assure you that she has seen and heard more than she should. Her father was grooming her to become a highly intelligent criminal. She is a victim, witness, a suspect and a perpetrator combined in one little girl." Red cleared his throat, shaking his head. "A dangerous little girl which has to be neutralized to protect very important but not so innocent people."

Sam kept quiet, not knowing what to say and stood up to start his pacing again. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "A perpetrator?" he asked in disbelieve. Red looked him into the eyes and was surprised to see the steely glint in them.

"Yes." Was his simple answer and Sam knew he wouldn't get anything more out of him right now, so he didn't comment. Instead, he nodded and sighed.

"They will search for you."

"They will."

"They will search for her."

"They will." Red repeated impatiently.

"Will you go back?"

Red's answer didn't come as fast as the others have, but non the less he looked quiet sure of what he was saying.

"I will. Everyone present in the house is dead, including Sarah. She won't talk and the boss know only what the team leader tells him. Currently we are both MIA, so to speak."

"Did she die in the fire?" Sam asked curiously, although he didn't really care for her fate.

"No. Katarina killed her. She shot her when she came into the house alone and asked for the Fulcrum."

"Katarina was there?" Sam questioned surprised. "So Sarah tried to get it without killing him?"

"No, but she knew that it would be more difficult without him, so she opted for using him before doing her job. And Katarina…" Red shook his head and bit slightly onto his tongue, before speaking further. "I don't know what she was doing there. I was as surprised as you are but Sarah…wasn't."

Sam scratched his head, trying to take in all those information without starting to scream. "What happened to David?" he asked finally. Again, Sam saw that Red didn't want to answer, but this time Sam insisted.

"Red, you have told me enough to make me a companion in crime, now you can tell me everything else, too." He paused. Scared of the answer Raymond would give him. When he finally did, Sam felt all the blood drain from his face.

"Elizabeth killed him. Shot him."

"What?" the shock was evident in Sam's voice and Red winced when his friend slumped onto the couch next to him. "W…why? How?"

"After Katarina killed Sarah, she and David started to fight. She…wanted the Fulcrum. I held myself back, hoping to find out where he hid it."

"He killed her…didn't he? Elizabeth saw it."

"Yeah. At least I believe so. I wasn't there when it happened but I found Elizabeth with the gun and she was rambling about hurting her daddy…and that he had hurt mommy."

"Oh god." Sam breathed, lying his head against the back of the couch. Red watched him and his eyes were practically boring into his when he started to speak again.

"Sam. You are never to mention this incident to her, you hear me?"

"Ray…"

"No." Red's voice allowed no argument. "She is four years old. She will forget. I told her it wasn't her fault. If someone asks, I did it."

"No way will I…"

"Sam." The growl made Sam halt his words and rise his head. "Since I haven't been in contact with my mole for a year, I can't say for sure what has gone on while she was with her father but I will tell you this: she has been through something no child of her age should go through. Now she has a chance to live a normal life. If she remembers this, she won't."

Sam watched him for a few more moments until they heard the girl behind the door talking to the doctor, a smile, albeit short-lived graced both of their lips. Red sighed and started to talk again.

"I would take her with me, Sam. I think Jennifer would be thrilled to have a little sister." another deep sigh left his chest. "But I can't. They will come into my house and look for her. If they find the tiniest trace of her…" he paused and he didn't need to say anything more and Sam nodded in understanding.

"She can stay with me." He offered immediately.

A deep laugh rumbled in Red's chest and he nodded jerkily.

"I won't lie to you, my friend, I was hoping for you to say that."

Sam opened his mouth and was about to answer, but the bedroom door creaked open and Dr. Lorry came out. Her face had lost all cheerfulness and her hands were fiddling with a piece of cloth.

"Dr. Lorry?" Sam asked and turned to the woman. She came closer and her gaze fell on Red.

"I don't have any good news for you." She began and took the seat where Sam had been sitting only moments ago.

"I already thought so." Red admitted and waited for the doctor to get comfortable next to him and start talking.

"I don't know if she has a history with lung diseases or if her parents have one…" she stopped and rubbed her neck with one hand. "…all the symptoms she is displaying, are telling me that she is suffering from a pulmonary fibrosis."

When she saw the questioning eyes of Sam on her, she quickly elaborated.

"It's scarring in the lungs basically. It does take some time to form, that's why I believe she had it already before tonight's…accident."

"The smoke aggravated it." Red concluded darkly.

"Yes. It basically boosted the sickness a stage up, if you know what I mean."

Silence spread through the room and the three occupants felt like it was pressing on their shoulders uncomfortably. Finally, Sam started to talk and cut through the thick atmosphere.

"What can be done?"

"Nothing really." Was the somber answer coming from the doctor. "There is no cure per se. There is a possibility of lung transplantation but I wouldn't suggest that for now."

"Why not?" Red asked, while standing up and stretching his legs and flexing his numb muscles in his back. No pain. Sweet. Lorry cleared her throat, before answering and Red could see that she was as much effected as he was by the grave diagnosis she just made.

"She is very young and sometimes, when growing up, the lungs start to heal and work more properly. I am not saying that children get cured miraculously, but the symptoms get less debilitating. Plus, her lungs need time to come to terms with their new condition now after the smoke inhalation. I would suggest going to the hospital and let them conduct more tests. There is only so much I can tell from just listening to her lungs."

Red nodded, looking absentmindedly at the wooden door of the bedroom.

"So…" Red started to say, but cut himself off, looking around. "What can actually be done?"

Lorry heaved a heavy sigh and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"The only thing that can help to reduce the symptoms will be an oxygen tank, which she will have to use a few times a day, depending on what they find out in the hospital. And of course inhalation of medication and exercises to teach her how to breath properly."

Seeing Red's eyebrows rise, she chuckled.

"Yes, you heard right. Did you never hear that almost everyone is breathing the wrong way? We don't really notice it and it doesn't influence our health but Elizabeth doesn't have this luxury."

Red didn't grace this with an answer, simply started to ask his questions again. Gathering information was one of his best talents and very useful.

"How fast can we get an appointment for her?"

"I would suggest we get a double appointment for both of you." Lorry could see Red already wanting to argue and cut him off, smiling sweetly.

"Fortunately, I am working at a hospital and tomorrow I should be able to squeeze you in." she paused, looking Red up and down, her gaze staying on his mangled back. "But you will not escape the shirt removal today, you know?"

Red chuckled humorlessly and spun around to look at Lorry.

"You won't let me get off the hook so easily, will you?"

She only had to smile and Red knew that he had found his first associate in this new chapter of his life.

Next Day…

Five hours. Five hours full of waiting, talking with doctors and more waiting. Sam was now pacing the corridor in front of the examining rooms and stretching his arms from time to time to reduce the pressure of the stress that seemed to push down on his shoulders. The last time he had seen Ray or Elizabeth, was when they had been waiting for the doctor to call them into his office for the final heart to heart. Since Dr. Lorry had introduced Red as the girl's guardian, no one had questioned his presence at her side between his own exams.

Sam knew that Red had already made up his mind and was against a skin-transplantation. "Scars are evidence of situations you have survived." He had said and with this, the conversation had been over. The doctors had examined his back, cleaned it as good as possible and the rest would be decided in a conversation with Red personally. The painkillers he was taking until now were not helping too much anymore. Sam had caught Red wincing and groaning more often than an old man after a two hour jogging session.

Sam tapped his foot against the linoleum floor and let an exuberated breath out. He jumped almost out of his skin when someone tapped him on his shoulder from behind. A sweet giggle let him know that it was Elizabeth playing a joke on him. Turning around she found himself face to face with her, while she was carried by Dr. Lorry and still clinging with one hand to Red's shirt collar.

"I'm done." She grinned brightly and Sam could do nothing else but return it. It was nice to see her smiling again and getting accustomed to the new people in her life. Although he was slightly surprised by her easy adjustment, he was still glad it had been so unproblematic until now.

"Hey Butterball, did you have fun?" He asked her and tickled her gently on the belly. The giggle that elicited from her brought a smile to the faces of every single person standing around.

"Yap." She finally answered and looked at Red. "I even got a lollipop after having to breathe into a machine."

"That she did." Red confirmed, but Sam saw something besides amusement twinkle in his friend's eyes. He hoped it wasn't what he suspected, but when Dr. Lorry started to speak, those hopes were dashed in seconds.

"The little lady here will need to inhale some medications four times a day. And she promised to be good and not forget about those." Elizabeth gave a nod and Sam was wondering if she really didn't understand her grave medical situation or if she was trying to be brave and uncomplicated. Her hand hadn't let go of Red's shirt even for a second and Sam had the suspicion that she was so easy on them because she didn't want Red to leave her if he thought of her as a bad girl.

Sam smiled at her and stepped closer to her, whispering into her ear.

"Dr. Lorry has promised to buy you some ice cream when you are done with the doctors." He could already feel her getting happily agitated and when she turned in the woman's arms and breathed out a "Really?", Lorry shot Sam a quick glare but confirmed it.

"What ice would you like, Red?" Elizabeth asked excitedly, but when Red patted her hand and entangled her fingers from his shirt, her smile fell and she leaned dangerously far forward in Dr. Lorries arms.

"Red?"

"I will be there soon, honey. You can chose some ice for me, ok? I just have to talk to Sam for a minute, alright?"

Her eyes narrowed and she titled her head to the side, as if thinking hard about her choices. Finally, she smiled hesitantly and nodded. Letting go of Red's shirt, she grasped Dr. Lorry's neck and let her carry her in direction of the cafeteria, but her eyes never left Red until Dr. Lorry turned the corner with her.

"So what did they say?" Sam asked and sat on one of the colorful chairs in the waiting room.

"It's not looking so good."

"Which means?"

Red sighed and let himself fall onto a chair right next to Sam and grimaced when his back touched the backrest.

"She will need medication. They say…that it is not genetic in her. Which means…"

Red broke off, his hand balling into a fist, shaking slightly.

"You are not suggesting that…." Sam was shocked when his brain caught up with his friend's implications.

"That's exactly what I am saying, Sam. There was some kind of outer influence. I don't know what kind and from whom, but I promise you and her, that I will find out."

His voice became deep and it was as hard as sandpaper. It made Sam shiver. He hadn't seen his friend like this ever before. "And if I find out whom she has to thank for this…they will pay."

Sam had become pale and his hand wiped over his face in hope he would compose himself before starting to speak.

"How could they have influenced or even triggered such a disease?"

"I don't know yet." Red huffed out, shaking his head.

Sam observed the stiff posture Red was sitting in and sighed.

"How is your back?"

"Shredded."

"Be serious." Sam warned.

"Transplanting is not possible." He informed coolly, smacking his lips. "I will need psychical therapy. But that was to be expected." His eye twitched and he inhaled deeply. "I will need pain management therapy too. They gave me some of the pain meds through the IV, so right now I don't feel anything."

"That's good…I guess." Sam commented carefully, grimacing at the thought of the pain Raymond must be in right now, despite of what he was saying. "How long will it take to heal?"

Red laughed humorlessly and he relaxed his hand consciously, lying it on his thigh and tapping his fingers on it, belaying his pretended relaxed state.

"It will never heal. I will need to rub in some ointments until the rest of my live. I guess you can call it massages for free until the last day on earth."

Sam didn't answer. What was he supposed to say? Great? Terrible? Sad? He shook his head sadly and simply sighed. The silence that descended on them was not comfortable by any means. Both were searching for something to say, but nothing came in mind that would make this situation any easier or more understandable than before. They watched people walking by, some sad and some happy to be together with their loved ones again. No one took any notice of the men sitting side by side there and contemplating their future lifes.

Probably they would have sat there for hours if there hadn't been the little whirlwind in form of Elizabeth running in their direction and yelling Red's name. Red turned immediately and a smile took over his face, his arms stretched out to grasp her by the arms when she skidded to a halt in front of him. Between coughs, she was desperately trying to tell him something.

"Calm down, sweetheart. You need to breathe in deeply and then slowly breathe out. Remember what the doctor told you?"

To Sam's surprise the girl was following the instructions willingly and within a minute the coughing fit was under control and she happily presented a Popsicle in a dark foil to him.

"I picked a popsicle for you." She said proudly. "So that your boo-boo gets better again."

With astonishment, Sam watched Raymond's face transform from smiling but tense to delighted and happy.

"Oh sweetheart, I am sure this will help tremendously. Thank you Elizabeth."

Upon hearing her name, she scrunched up her nose and grimaced.

"What's up?" Sam asked gently, trying to get the little girls attention. Even a blind man could have seen that she was fixating on Raymond Reddington and that it would only end in heartache, crying and screaming.

Elizabeth glanced at him and her cheeks reddened.

"Uhm…I don't like it."

"You don't?"

Surprise was painted on both men's face and the girl shyly smiled at them. She was about to answer, but before she got the first word out, Dr. Lorry came sprinting around the corner.

"There you are." She panted when she stopped a few feet away from them. "I was searching all over for you, young lady."

A warning finger rose up and shook in Elizabeth's direction. The girl gasped quietly and stepped closer to Red, almost letting the Popsicle fall on the floor.

"I'm sorry." she breathed and leaned against Red, who caught the Popsicle just in time to safe it before it wouldn't be eatable anymore. Red might be a serious and very logically thinking man, but he would never say no to food…and never waste it.

"What's up Lorry? You managed to lose a little girl? Or to get lost?"

Red's jibe was good-natured and he could see Elizabeth relax, Lorry smirk and he felt good about himself. Once again, his way with words had saved a possibly horrible situation.

"I didn't lose her, she ran." Lorry told him. "Because she couldn't wait any longer for you. What took you so long?" she looked at the men accusingly, but knew she wouldn't get an answer. Once again, silence spread across the room until Elizabeth broke it by tapping Red on the shoulder and whispering, "Does it still hurt?"

Red grinned at her and patted her hand reassuringly, before answering in a low voice.

"Yeah it does, but it will get better soon. Just like you will."

"Good." Was her answer to that, but the bright smile had faded now and Red had a suspicion it wouldn't come back any time soon. He was surprised though, when she spoke up again, whispering into his ear.

"Can I stay with you? Cause…I don't have a home now."

Red felt his face fall and his body become stiff as a board. Thoughts running crazy in his head, searching for an plausible excuse that a girl of four years would understand and accept, without breaking out in tears and feeling heartbroken. What finally came out of his mouth was not at all what he actually had in mind.

"We'll see, sweetheart."

tbc...

So, what do ya think? Is Lizzie to perky in this chapter? I promise that will change very soon;) Actually...I'd like to spoil something: Soon we will get a very close look at Red's family:) Till next time and I wish ya all great summerdays, no matter where you are;)


	5. Leaving you Behind

Sorry for the delay, possible mistakes and for the shorter chapter! I am on vacation right now and just got the chance to write for a few moments a day! I hope you will like the new chapter anyway:)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (for details, see prologue)

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Chapter 4

The drive back to Sam's home was uncomfortably quiet and Red new exactly why. He himself couldn't believe that he got the girl's hopes up about staying with him and Red was sure that Sam couldn't either. He could see Sam shooting him angry glances and shaking his head at him. The sky was slowly turning dark and the excuse of watching the landscape going by has been taken away from Red, so he busied himself with calling his wife and daughter.

"Naomi?" Red asked when he only heard rustling on the other side.

"Yeah. Ray? The connection is really bad here. How are you?"

"I don't want to bother you for long, I just wanted to find out how you guys are. I know I've said I'd be home on Wednesday, but something came up and I am not sure if I will be able to make it."

"What do you mean you won't make it?" Naomi's voice sound distant but the anger was clearly to hear. "You promised me you wouldn't do that anymore. Our daughter has a ballet concert on Thursday and you promised her to be there. She's looking forward to it for months."

"I know, but…"

"But what? What could be more important than your own daughter?"

"You know that there is…"

"I don't want to hear it." Naomi shouted and the line went dead.

After a short period of silence, Sam turned away from the street and glanced at Red, anger now gone.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked, alternating between watching his friend's stony face and the road ahead.

"That's a conversation for another time." Red answered, sighing deeply. He turned his head slightly to look at the seat behind Sam and his eyes softened when he saw the slumbering Elizabeth leaning against the window, clutching her bunny to her chest.

"My marriage is falling apart." He sighed, still not looking away from the girl.

"Why?"

"You know why." Red snapped, albeit quietly.

"Red, you are the best father I have ever seen. Not that I have seen many…" Sam trailed off, with Red clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Sorry." Sam chuckled. "Fact is, your wife knew what job you had when she married you. I recall you even warning her about it and telling her how hard it would be as a wife of someone working in the naval intelligence."

"I should have been more at home…my job shouldn't be my priority."

"It isn't." Sam threw in. "But you know how it is. There are some jobs that are demanding and very hard on the family."

Red simply nodded, not saying another word.

Ten minutes later, they reached Sam's house and Red volunteered to carry Elizabeth into the house. Carefully placing her onto the bed, he couldn't help but caress her hair for a moment. He shouldn't be getting so attached to this girl. But it seemed to be true what they said: If you rescue someone, you are going to be bond with him forever. He certainly wouldn't forget the girl until his last day on this earth. But for now it was time to move on.

Red leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Elizabeth's forehead and closed his eyes.

"I am sorry sweetheart, but I need to go and safe my own family now."

The girl didn't stir, only continued breathing in deeply.

Slowly he straightened and retreated from the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Following the smell of freshly baked cookies, Red found Sam in the kitchen, letting chocolate cookies, which he had prepared before they left for the hospital, fall into a ball.

"I have to go Sam." He told his friend without further explanation, which in fact wasn't needed.

"You can't just go without saying goodbye to her. She will be heartbroken."

"I would wait until morning, but I don't know if Naomi and my daughter will be still there. She might go to her parents or…"

"Raymond!" Sam snapped. "The moment you told this little girl that you would consider taking her in, you made the situation very hard for yourself. You can't just go without any word to her. You know what this will do to her?"

"Sam…"

"No." Sam interrupted him once again, banging the bowl with the cookies on the countertop. "You will wake her up and explain to her that you won't be here in the morning. She has gone through enough and still has a hard way before her. She just lost her parents for Pete's sake. You can't just leave her now."

Red stared at him, breathing heavily. The low light from the cheap overhead light made his eyes sting and water and he didn't know what to do now. The flight or fight modus was kicking in and his brain was working out his possibilities in high speed. When his mind was made up, he abruptly turned on his heels, wincing only slightly when his back was jarred in the wrong way, and disappeared from the kitchen.

When Sam heard the door of his bedroom creek, a satisfied smile spread over his face.

Meanwhile, Red entered the dark room and almost screamed like a girl, when a dark silhouette moved through the room and threw itself against him.

"Red…" the small voice sobbed into his leg and the fingers digging into his skin were reassuring enough that it wasn't a monster attacking him.

"Why are you not sleeping, sweetheart?"

"You fought…mommy and daddy fought all the time. It woke me up often. And then daddy was not with us anymore and mommy fought with other men." The nearly endless stream of tears coming from her eyes, was hurting Red almost as badly as the fire had his back.

"But you were with your daddy yesterday." Although he knew it was painful for her to talk about it, he needed information, to fulfill his promise.

"Daddy came for me and then…and then…"

Still clinging to Red's leg, Elizabeth coughed once and tried to wipe away her tears.

"I promise I will be good. I won't get In trouble. You wont even notice me. My daddy showed me how to do that. I promise…please don't leave me here."

"Honey…"

"I will stop crying, I will never cry again, just please take me with you…" Elizabeth pleaded with him, hanging on to him and pulling him deeper inside the room. Red finally picked her up slowly and sat down with her on the bed, cradling her body in his arms, but still maintaining eye contact.

"Listen to me, honey. I cannot stay here. I have a daughter, only a little bit older than you." At her curious look, he smiled and explained further. "She loves to dance. She has been dancing ballet for forever it seems. Do you like ballet?"

The girl scrunched up her nose and sniffled loudly.

"Sometimes." She answered carefully, not wanting to say anything wrong and risk Red leaving her. But Red only smiled at her.

"It's ok if you don't. I am sure you like to do other really nice things." He pulled her around, so that her back was resting against his arm and her head against his shoulder.

"I like puzzles." She answered and smiled back when Red nodded and grinned at her.

"That's really nice. I am sure Sam has some nice puzzles lying around somewhere."

He cleared his throat, hugging Elizabeth a little closer to him. "I haven't been home to see Jennifer for a long time now and tomorrow she will perform a solo she had been working on for over a year." Carefully Red fished out his keys and opened a little locket where a picture of his daughter was in and showed it to the girl.

"Wow…" Elizabeth breathed out in wonderment. "She is really pretty."

Red chuckled and patted her hand.

"Oh she is. But you are just as pretty. In your own way."

"Really?" her insecure voice shook slightly when she asked.

"Yes." His answer was strong and confident, leaving no room for arguments. But the girl in his arms always had more questions. Too curious for her own goo, Red thought.

"But why don't you want me then?"

"It's not about wanting, sweetheart." Red patiently explained. "You need a new home. Your mommy and daddy would want you to have a stable home, where you can feel safe and comfortable. My home is…well…I am not home that often."

Elizabeth's silence threw him off track for a moment, but when he looked down at her he started to talk again in a soft voice.

"Can you understand that?"

First came the timid nod and finally she answered him.

"I can try."

"Thank you." Red whispered and dropped a kiss on her dark hair.

"But you will visit me, right?"

That made Red laugh and hug the girl to him.

"Our paths will cross again, I am sure."

Although Elizabeth looked at him questioningly, he didn't offer an explanation, only lifted her off his lap and sat her down on the bed.

"Dr. Lorry has bought you some new clothes. They are in the closet back there. You want to look for a pajama yourself or shell I help you before I go?"

Elizabeth was thinking about her answer for a while and then smiled brightly.

"I'll do it myself. Jenny wants to see you again."

Red had to clear his voice and swallow hard so that his eyes wouldn't tear up. It would be really hard to leave this smart and adorable girl behind. With the right guidance she would grow into a mesmerizing woman, but Red was sure that it wasn't his guidance that would bring her there. Sam was the right candidate for that and he trusted his friend completely.

"Thank you sweetheart. Take care and don't forget the exercises the doctors showed you, ok?"

Elizabeth nodded and Red could see she was doing her best to not look sad or cry again. With a last parting kiss on the cheek, Red stood up and left the room without looking back. Don't make it harder than it already is, Red thought, marching into the living room, where Sam was already waiting.

"You have my number, Sam. If you need anything or just someone to talk, call me. Day or night, I don't care."

Sam nodded and stood from his couch, where Red and Elizabeth had been seated the day before.

"Take care, Red. Don't do anything stupid, ok?"

"I'll try."

Sam nodded again and almost immediately, Red was out of the door.

Sam walked up to the window, observing his friend driving off into the night, until only darkness stared back at him. With a deep sigh, he turned around and stopped in his movements, when he saw Elizabeth standing in a pink pajama and bare feet in front of him.

"I already miss him." She declared and walked back into the bedroom with her head hanging down slightly and shoulders slumped.

"Oh Ray…" Sam sighed, hearing the door closing silently. "You know how to charm all the girls you meet."

With another deep sigh, Sam shut all the lights of and laid down on the sofa. It was time to get the house renovated and the unused rooms on the second floor cleaned up.

tbc...

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let me know what ya think please! I LOVE your reviews!


	6. The Pain of Being Alone

Here I am again with a new chapter- I hope you dont mind the mistakes and some...well...illogical things. I am kinda writting 10 minutes every day and somehow I cant get mind brain to think logically while on vacation;)

But here it is and I hope you like it anyway:)

Thank you to every single one leaving me a comment! I am SO happy to read them and cant thank you enough for them!

Now...let's get on with the story:)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (for details, see prologue)

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Chapter 5

The dark road ahead of him was empty and the rain was beating down on the car, obscuring the view. Red squinted and leaned forward to see better through the rain, but the only thing it accomplished, was a searing pain in his back. Hissing, he sat back upright and slowed down the car. A deep sigh worked its way out of his mouth and he glanced at the clock in front of him.

2.28 am

If everything went according to plan, he should be home around 6 am, even if the rain didn't let up.

His thoughts drifted to the girl he just four hours ago had left behind. He knew he shouldn't attach himself emotionally too much to her. It would be too dangerous for both of them to be in contact and Sam was more than capable of taking care of her. After a while, when the dust would have settled, he would provide his friend with faked adoption papers and money to start off his new family. Red was glad he gathered contacts and so called "friends" like others collected post stamps or jewelry.

Another hour later, he fiddled with the small plastic bag lying on the passenger seat, to get his pain medication out. His back was on fire by now and wincing was getting old very fast. He hadn't told Sam that he would never regain full feeling on his back again. Too many nerves had been damaged. And he also didn't mention the fact that he would need months of therapy to be able to go back to work again...if he would be able to, anyway. That was a problem, Red concluded. Officially, he was the only survivor of the fire, but he knew for a fact, that the house had been under surveillance and he also knew, that before he past out on the floor, he had seen men leaving him and Elizabeth to their dreadful fate's. He didn't know if it had been Russian agents or his own men, in which case, lying would be a tricky thing. If they thought he was dead though…well that would give him some opportunities he hasn't thought of yet. The report-call to his boss was due in 24 hours and if he would miss it…

Red was glad that he had always tended to be a deep thinker. Deep thinking distracted from physical pain and by the time he stopped his musing, the pain medication had started to spread through his system and worked its magic on his back. For a split second, he smiled in relief but the smile disappeared as quickly as it came. What was he supposed to tell his wife?

Meanwhile in Nebraska…

Sam stirred the soup he had prepared for the next day and glanced at the clock on the wall.

2.45 am

Normally, he would be already asleep for at least three hours. He had peeked into his bedroom several times, in fear Elizabeth might have taken off or simply crawled under the bed, but to his surprise, she was sleeping peacefully in her bed, her bunny right beside her.

What was Reddington thinking? Sam snorted. A little girl, literally stolen from a crime scene and the only witness to much darker situations in the past, and he was supposed to take care of her? Yeah, he did offer it himself, but at that point he was still under shock. It was the stress talking and certainly not his common sense.

Making himself a cup of tea, he sipped at the beverage and out of boredom, walked once again in direction of the bedroom. With very careful and quiet movements, he opened the door and stuck his head inside. Elizabeth had apparently felt too warm under his feather blanket and kicked it to the floor. Her legs were drawn to her chest and while she clutched her bunny with one hand and buried her face in its fur, the other arm was wound around her legs, pressing them tightly to her chest. The white bandage on her wrist seemed to shine brightly back at him and he sighed. All the thoughts of not wanting her and making a mistake flew out the window and only a sense of sadness and sympathy stayed behind.

"Well…" he muttered quietly. "I guess you will have to get used to me Butterball."

Closing the door behind him and walking back to his sofa to get at least a little bit of sleep before the sun rose, Sam didn't see the girl's eyes cracking open and the pools of tears swimming in them. She missed her mommy and her daddy. She saw her mommy get hurt. She had fallen down to the floor and not moved again. A tear trickled down her rounded cheek and she hid her face even deeper in the stuffed animal. Her daddy had just disappeared. Left her with Red lying on the floor and after he had saved her, she really had thought that he would like her to stay with him. Daddy had always told her not to talk when not ask. Not to interfere if not wanted to. Only observe and remember. And she learned that and obeyed it. She wouldn't have been any trouble for Red. And maybe she could have been friends with his daughter. It would have been nice to finally have a friend. But now he was gone. And she was alone. Again.

The darkness seemed to enclose her and the pictures behind her eyelids made her almost sob but she smothered it with a hand in front of her mouth. The bright flames of the fire were still there. Deep inside her. Waiting and haunting her.

Next morning…

The drive had taken him slightly longer than expected and Red brought his car to a halt at 8.16 am in front of his house. The lights were already on and he could see shadows moving behind his daughters curtains. Smiling in anticipation, Red carefully exited the car, grabbed his keys from his pocket and walked to the entrance door. The house was painted in a very light tone of blue and gray, which almost looked like white, depending on how the light shone onto it. The green of the grass in the garden was lush, but seemed a little too bright for Red's tired eyes.

Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and inhaled the beautiful scent of his home. A mixture of home cooked pies and apple juice. Quiet cliché, he had to admit, but that was his home and a stark contrast to the world he was in while on the job. Slowly he walked through the kitchen and found the source of the delicious smell that had greeted him. A still steaming cheesecake was standing on the table and waiting to be eaten. He felt the saliva pouring into his mouth as if a dam had broken in a river. It had been so long that he hadn't had this kind of treats. Opening his eyes again, looking around, he sighed. Nothing had changed in those months he had been gone. The furniture was still out of the darkest wood you could imagine and decoration was hung almost everywhere. His wife had a knack to collect them and he didn't mind that much. It looked pretty and Naomi had a pretty good sense for fashion and décor, so he wasn't worried when she went on a shopping spree.

Hearing voices from upstairs, Red shook his head to clear his mind and made his way over to the stairs that were nestled between the kitchen and backdoor. He didn't try to be quiet now so that he wouldn't scare his wife and daughter too much. He even decided to call out to them. He was greeted first with silence and then with hurried footsteps running towards him. Just when he reached the top of the stairs, his daughter collided with him and almost made him stumble backwards.

"Honey." He breathed and picked her up, to hug her as tightly as he dared to him. Her hair tickled his face and he never felt anything better than this. The feel of your daughter safe and sound and protected from all the bad in the world in your arms.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed his wife standing in the doorway, not looking as happy as his daughter obviously was.

"You came to see my solo." Jennifer cried out and laughed into his ear, kissing his cheek repeatedly in happiness.

"That I did, sweetheart."

Slowly he let her down and patted her head, smiling sweetly at her.

"I have heard that you were working very hard on your part while I was away." He watched her nod enthusiastically. "I couldn't miss that now, could I?"

"No." she laughed and hugged him around the waist, jumping up and down. Red could see his wife walking towards them and lying a hand onto their daughters shoulder to get her attention. When Jennifer looked at her mother, she smiled at her calmly while speaking.

"Why don't you go and search for the rest of your clothes while I talk to daddy for a minute?"

Reluctantly but still happy, the girl ran back into her room and started to hum while opening the closet again.

Naomi looked back at Red and sighed.

"I haven't expected you here." She told him, crossing her arms over her chest, showing him that she wasn't ready to forgive him.

"I wanted to see her dance."

"What have you been doing, Ray?" she suddenly asked, surprising Red. "You sounded…out of it when you called."

Red sighed. It was always a hard question of what he could tell her about his job and what was better left in the dark. In this case, he believed that the truth would be the best way to proceed.

"I may be in some trouble." He whispered. "I had to take a child with me from a crime scene."

"Take with you?" Naomi asked, not quiet understanding what he was telling her. With one arm she leaned against the stairwell and waited for a better answer expectantly.

"Her parents died, she uhm…"

Jennifer's footsteps came closer and then grew quieter again. Her humming never stopping.

"Listen, I don't feel comfortable telling you this here. I just want you to know that it might be that some man will come here and search for her...and for me."

Naomi's mouth fell open, searching for words, but nothing came out for a few more seconds and then she found just one word crossing her mind.

"Why?"

Red's eyebrows rose in question and he didn't have to wait long for an elaboration.

"Why did you do this? You are endangering your family for some stranger." Her voice was rising steadily and with a strong "shhh.", Red reminded her that their daughter was just a few feet away.

"I had to safe her." Red finally said, starting to sweat, as if just now he had realized the weight of his actions. A heavy stone settled onto his shoulders and the thundering clouds over his head, boomed loudly, deafening him. His wife stared at him with an open mouth and shook her head, huffing in annoyance.

"I am looking forward to what you have to say, Raymond Reddington, cause I swear to who ever is watching from up there, if you are endangering your family because a girl has fallen and scraped her knee, I will leave you. And I will take Jennifer with me."

Red had no doubt that she was telling him the truth and would do exactly what she threatened to do.

"I will tell you everything after the performance, alright? There is still some time left until they start to wonder where I am and until then…"

He sighed in relief when Naomi nodded and excepted his sorry excuse for an answer. Red breathed in deeply, hoping it wasn't a mistake by staying in the house and going to the performance. There was still some time left until the deadline for his call was reached and the possibility of danger looming over his head until then was rather slim. After that, there was no way he could tell what would happen. Seeing his daughter dance today was feeling like some kind of closure. A goodbye. Red shook his head strongly, banning those thoughts from his mind immediately. Nothing would happen. He would lay low for a while and everything would be fine. Maybe they would need to move. But not today. Not now.

Slowly he made his way into his daughter's room and put on the brightest smile he could muster. Nudging the door open, he was almost blinded by the bright pink the room was decorated and painted in. When he last saw it, it hadn't looked like that yet. Seems that his wife had tried to make his absence as bearable as possible by granting Jennifer's biggest wish.

"Wow, Jenny." He exclaimed, looking around.

"You like it daddy?"

Red smiled at her eager expression, which didn't leave him any choice but to approve of the new look.

"It's beautiful. Really you, you know?"

Jennifer stood at her closet, holding her ballet outfit in her arms and smiled brightly, showing her still crooked teeth. If Red didn't know that she was already six years old, he would have believed her to only four or five. Her pink rosy cheeks were slightly rounded and her golden hair hung down her back, reaching her waist. The natural locks in them, gave her not only a younger appearance but also made her look like a little angel. He smiled proudly and had to hold himself back from patting his own shoulder. Genes…Naomi and I did a great job.

"Look, daddy." His daughter called, bringing him out of his musing. She held up a her hand with the colorful wristband he had sent her a few weeks ago from Mexico. His smile grew and kneeled down, taking her wrist in his hand to look at piece of jewelry in detail. He tried not to let the flashbacks of Elizabeth's burned wrist spoil the moment with his daughter and finally he shook his head and lost the image of the other girl.

"It looks beautiful on you."

"Thank you." The girl breathed and suddenly he had once again an arm full of little girl, squeezing his breath out of his body.

"I missed you." She whispered into his ear and Red could only nod, buring his nose even further into her hair.

He was finally home.

Meanwhile in Nebraska…

"You need to eat, honey." Sam pleaded for the umpteenth time for Liz to take at least one bite of the soup he had made for them already hours ago.

"I am not hungry." The girl answered once again, holding the bunny in her lap and dangling her feet from the wooden chair at the desk.

Sam had heard her belly growl a few times already, so he was sure that the girl was hungry and simply refused to eat out of protest. He sighed. For a minute, he considered calling Red, but he didn't want to bother him for now. He should enjoy the family reunion and his daughter's performance. Sam glanced at the clock on the wall and a quiet growl left his chest. What a fail was that? 5 am and he still hadn't been able to get her to eat. Other than the eating problem, Elizabeth had been perfectly well behaved and done exactly what Sam had asked of her.

If he didn't know better, Sam would start to theorize about her having an eating disorder, but yesterday she had eaten without any problem, so no, this couldn't be the problem. Looking back at the girl, he frowned. She was looking at the soup longingly. So what was her problem? Again, he glanced at the clock and saw that time for inhalation was coming closer again. The last two times this day, Elizabeth had remembered to inhale herself, but now she seemed to have forgotten. Sighing again, Sam sat up straighter and finally stood up. Maybe another tactic would work better.

"Ok, Elizabeth. It's time for your medication. If you're a good girl and inhale for twenty minutes, you can get a chocolate bar, alright?"

To his surprise, the girl nodded, stood up and marched upstairs, where he could hear the small inhaling machine turn on.

After 20 minutes, Elizabeth appeared back downstairs and stood next to Sam, eyes roaming around, searching for the chocolate bar.

Sam reached into a cupboard, handing the girl the candy and watched in fascination when she opened the package and happily started to munch on it.

"This is just…" Sam stopped himself before he would say something inappropriate in front of the child and shook his head instead.

tbc..

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What d'ya think?:)

Have some beautiful summer days, guys;D


	7. False Safety

Hey ya:)

A quick buffer chapter:)

Please dont mind it being a bit...fast paced...I want to get back to Liz as quick as possible;)

Disclaimer: Blacklist is not mine (for details, see Prologue)

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Chpter 6

The door of the Reddington's house opened slowly, the darkness enveloping the person slipping into the foyer and closing the door silently. The dark figure looked around, starting to walk into the living room, which was lightened up by a little lamp the family always left on when the house was empty. Sneaking further into the room, the figure positioned itself at the wall and started to glide his hands over the cream- colored wallpaper. When his hands met the picture frame, he paused. Taking off the frame and looking at the picture, the man smiled. The family looked like out of a catalogue for traveling. Almost perfect. The man turned the picture around and got the velvet back out. Holding It in one hand, he put the rest of the frame and the picture down on the table next to him. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a little black knob, attached to a very thin cable. Quickly he pulled a foil off rom one side of the knob and stuck it to the back of the frame. Hiding the cable behind the picture, he put the frame together and hung it back on the wall. A few moments later, he left the house as quietly as he had entered it.

Half an hour later the door opened once again, this time letting the rightful owners in. Turning the light on, Red stepped in first and out of habit, looked around if something was out of place. This gesture took him only seconds, and soon he was joined by his wife and their daughter.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and play with my new doll." Jennifer called and sprinted up the stairs so quickly, that Red was almost not able to follow her with his gaze.

"She seems to be happy about the doll." He huffed in amusement and Naomi nodded. After the performance, which had turned out pretty good, Red and Naomi had taken their daughter to the mall and allowed her to pick one doll as a well-done present. The doll she had picked, had black, shoulder length hair and was dressed in a business like suite. The complete opposite of Jennifer, but it seemed to be something she enjoyed anyway.

Red helped his wife out of her coat and hung it together with his own in the closet right next to the door. Taking of his fedora, which he wore only for special occasions, he finally followed Naomi into the living room.

"We should talk." She told him, seating herself on the brown sofa, which was almost brand new.

"Now?" he knew he was stalling and he also was aware of the fact that his wife knew him better than to fall for it…and that his time was running out quickly.

"Now." Naomi pressed and glanced meaningfully at the free seat next to her.

Slowly Red walked over and joined her on the couch. For a minute he was wringing his hands, trying to find the right words to explain the situation to his wife.

"This must be serious." She finally said, concern making her face look thinner and older than her actual age.

"It is." Red started and angled his body slightly around, so that he was facing her, not able to disguise a short wince when the skin on his back stretched uncomfortably. "I can't tell you everything. It would endanger you."

Naomi frowned, titling her head to the side and Red could only sigh. This look on her face was one of its kind. He could never withstand it.

"I had the order to kill a man. A criminal who has gathered information on crooked politicians and also on criminals."

He looked her in the eye, surprised not to see resentment in them. But she did know what his job was about after all. So he continued before she could interrupt.

"He had a daughter. Elizabeth. She's four. Uhm…after her mother left her with him, she had a really tough time."

"What do you mean by tough?" Naomi asked curiously.

"Tough enough that she shot her father the night I was there."

He could see the moment his words registered with his wife. Her eyes grew double in size and her mouth opened a few times before she actually could say something.

"She is four?" her voice was unsteady, threatening to break off any second.

"Yeah…she has been hurt in the fire. While in the hospital, we found out that she must have been…exposed by someone to…something…"

"Exposed? Fire? Raymond…start from the beginning. Tall me everything. I want to help."

"You…" Before Red could continue, his daughter's voice drifted into the living room.

"Daddy? Do you want to see my new dolls? I have more than the last time we played."

For a second Red didn't look away from his wife. Maybe waiting for an excuse so that he didn't have to go to his daughter and play with her while he thought of such…dark things. Maybe only to see if his wife would be still here when he came back down. He couldn't tell what he wanted to see, but when she smiled at him shakily and nodded, he could do nothing else but nod and stand up stiffly to play with his daughter. Before he could go any further than the first step on the stairs, his wife's voice reached him.

"And we are going to talk about your back when you come back."

xxxxxx

He had to admit that he felt refreshed after two hours of playing with dolls and talking to Jennifer. It seemed ridiculous, but his thoughts seemed to be more sorted, collected and ready to be analyzed and dealt with. After he tucked in his daughter and left her to sleep with a goodnight kiss, he found his wife sitting in their bed, obviously waiting for him. Heaving a deep breath, he walked into their bedroom and closed the door, but didn't move closer to their bed.

"You will tell me everything, Raymond. I want to know every single detail and then we will find a solution. Do you hear me?"

He heard her and for the next three hours, well beyond midnight, they were talking, Red showing his injuries, letting Naomi massage the ointment onto them and explaining to his wife what danger was lurking around the corner.

Finally, when both were exhausted from all the talking and lying in bed, Naomi made a decision.

"We can't leave her like that. She needs help."

Red sighed into his pillow. It has been a long time ago that he had held his wife in his arms the last time. Every time he went away on the job, he felt like she was drifting away from him even further. Even now. Although they saw eye to eye on a lot of subjects, he was lying on one edge of their bed and Naomi on the other.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is for you and Jenny?"

Silence greeted him, but he knew she wasn't asleep yet.

"I am not saying we should take her in." Naomi explained patiently. "We should visit her. Find some people who would help her work through what she has experienced."

"Sam is capable of doing so."

Naomi turned around to him, sending him a questioning look.

"I don't understand you, Ray. You have risked your life, your career and even your family for this girl and now you don't want to have anything to do with her?"

She observed his face and tried to interpret the clenching of his jaw. The tick under his eye and the look in his open eyes. When he turned to her and she saw the fine sheen of tears in his eyes, she knew instantly what the problem was and she raised her eyebrows with the realization.

"You are afraid you won't be able to let her go, do you?"

He didn't answer, so she continued.

"You genuinely like her and…what? Want to be her father?"

"No." Red answered suddenly, turning to his wife. "I don't want to be her father. I just feel for her. She had a…rough time."

"Like you had. Are you identifying yourself with her?"

Red sighed and again turned away from her penetrating gaze, blinking a few times.

"Surprisingly I have no paternal feelings for her." He explained patiently. "Of course there are moments I compare her to Jennifer, but mostly…I compare her to myself. What would have happened to me if I hadn't met Sam or you. What would have happened if my upbringing would have been..." he searched for words and only the word. "…better." Came to his mind without having to revisit the memories of his youth.

"I don't want her to end up like me. I want her to have a better feeling of self-worth than I have. I want her to be able to meet someone who will love her and will make her see that she is worth more than what her parents taught her. Just like you and Sam taught me. If it hadn't been for you…I guess I wouldn't be alive anymore."

Naomi stayed silent and motionless. She understood her husband's motivation for trying to safe this poor girl's life. Literally.

"You know that it won't be done with simply finding her a new home and pat her on the head and say bye, right? You are committing to the rescue of this girl for…live."

"That is what I am afraid of." Red whispered. "If I go back there and try to help Sam and involve my family into this…then yes: I won't be able to let go."

Naomi shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"It's your decision. I don't mind as long as it is for a good cause. If my daughter was to be in such a situation, I'd like her to meet someone who'd be willing to help out in such a manner. And who would understand her. I am not saying I am happy that our life will be turned upside down, but I understand."

Turning his head on the pillow, Red gazed into his wife's eyes and finally a small smile graced his lips.

"So…it is decided. I am a ghost."

"You're a ghost."

One day later…

"I am telling you Ray, I have no idea what the problem is. She just won't eat." Sam desperately explained to Red over the phone. "She simply sits there and refuses."

"Didn't she eat anything since I left."

"No, she did eat. But irregularly and mostly after the inhalation."

"Maybe she feels intimidated by you." Red suggested with a smile, knowing that this couldn't be the case. Sam could be a prickly character sometimes but when it came to children, he was a big softy. He smiled when he heard the loud "pf" over the phone.

"Seriously, Sam. There has to be a reason for this. It is no disease. They checked her over completely when we were at the hospital. Maybe she isn't used to eating that often?"

"Her stomach is growling louder than my old motorboat."

At Red's laugh, Naomi walked by and looked at him questioningly. This morning they had agreed on Red returning to Sam, taking Naomi with him, while Jennifer would stay at her grandparents' house for the weekend.

"Let me talk to her, Sam." Red finally demanded.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked and Red was surprised for a moment, but when he remembered his quick departure and their argument shortly before that, he could understand his friend's hesitance.

"Naomi and I will come over for the weekend. We have some things to discuss. But maybe I can help with this problem over the phone. Let me talk to her."

Red glanced at his wife and was relieved to see her nod at him and walk away. Only a short rustle and a few footsteps later, Red heard Elizabeth over the phone.

"Red?"

"Hello, sweetheart. How have you been?"

"Alright." Her answer was a little bit reserved and Red frowned.

"I heard you didn't want to eat. Why's that?"

"Uhm…I want to."

Red was taken aback by her answer. What was going on over there. His curiosity and his need for control were taking the best of him slowly but surely.

"So why don't you? I am sure Sam has offered you delicious things."

A short silence grew into a long silence and finally Red wasn't even sure anymore, if the line wasn't dead.

"Elizabeth?"

"I am not supposed to take food before completing a puzzle."

Red's eyebrows shot up and for a moment he didn't know what to say. Than anger started to boil in his veins and he was relieved, that Elizabeth couldn't see his face right now. Trying to calm himself enough to talk in an even and friendly voice, he answered the girl.

"Ok, sweetheart. Why didn't you tell Sam?"

She didn't answer and her breathing got slightly heavier. Wincing, Red leaned against the doorframe and closed his eyes.

"You have to tell Sam such things, ok?" he wasn't sure how much good this would do, but he really hoped that she would at least open up to Sam about basic things.

"I miss you." Came the sniffled response and he knew that it would be a hard way for the girl to adjust to Sam's care. On the one side, he felt proud that the girl liked him and trusted him, but on the other hand, he knew that he couldn't give her what she desperately needed the most. A stable home without being in danger to be found, so that she could heal.

"I miss you too, honey." He finally told her and pushed away from the doorframe.

"I will visit you on the weekend, ok?"

"Really?" she sounded unbelieving. Suspicious.

"Really. I promise."

And with this answer he knew he had sealed the deal. He would never let go of her again.

tbc...

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Leave me a quick comment please:) It's my whole motivation:)


	8. Explosive Reunion

I am soooo sorry it took me so long to upload. I am terribly busy right now and my muse kinda left me:( But I did my best with the new chapter and I hope you will like it:)

Now...without further babbling: Here we go with the story!

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (for details, see prologue)

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Chapter 7

The closer they got to Sam's house, the more nervous Red seemed to get. He didn't even know why, because in his mind he had everything worked out already. Every single step of the way was planned and only had to be discussed with Sam.

"We're almost there." Naomi commented, gazing out into the darkness. Being already fall, it was quiet dark outside, although it was only 8 pm. Red grunted in agreement and shifted in his seat, to relieve the pressure on his back. He felt his wife's eyes on him and grinned when she suddenly smiled and suggested to massage the oils and ointments into his back once again.

"Right now? Naomi, I didn't think you had it still in you." The second the words left his mouth, he wished to plug them back in. Instead, he dug an even deeper hole.

"I mean…not that you are…I mean…you know."

Naomi only rolled her eyes and looked back at the road.

"You can ask Sam to massage you. We should be there in a few minutes."

True to her words, only ten minutes later, their car pulled up in front of Sam's house.

"I am actually looking forward to see Sam again. "Naomi muttered, while shutting off the engine. "It has been far too long."

"I guess he was too busy being bored." Red told her, smiling slightly.

"And you have been too busy being not." The jibe was noted and reached it's point accurately. Red didn't answer though, because he knew that she was right with her accusations.

After unfolding himself from the car carefully, Red led the way to the entrance door and knocked loudly. A few seconds went by with no sound on the other side of the door and then it started to creek open. Sam's face appeared on the darkened porch and a smile blossomed on his face when his eyes laid on Naomi.

"My dear girl." He breathed and pulled her into a friendly hug. "It has been too long."

"That's what I have told Ray only a minute ago. We still think alike Sam." Naomi laughed and hugged the older man back.

"Shell I get you two a room?" Red whispered jokingly next to their faces, making Sam laugh and pat him on the shoulder.

"I am so happy you are back, Ray." Sam admitted, gesturing with his head inside the house. "The girl is a little bit more work than I have anticipated."

Red licked his lips and titled his head.

"Did you believe that fatherhood is an easy thing, Sam?" he tsk-ed at him and walked past him into the house, feeling his amused wife and an embarrassed Sam follow him.

"Where is she?" Red asked, looking around curiously.

"Somewhere." Sam sighed. "She doesn't like visitors and miraculously disappears for the duration of their visit."

Red nodded and looked in direction of the bedroom Elizabeth had spent her first night in this house.

"I assume she is still staying in your bedroom?"

"Yeah." Sam confirmed, gesturing to Red to go on further into the house.

Walking up to the door, he nodded to his friend and to his wife, opening the door and sliding in quietly.

"Is she in there?" Naomi asked Sam surprised, but he just shrugged his shoulder. Finally, he smiled and guided the woman with one hand on her back into the living room.

"I have some cookies and coffee. Would you like some?"

While his wife and best friend enjoyed the cookies Sam had made out of nervous habit, Red stood in the darkened room and stared at the closet. A smile graced his face when he heard a small rustle from inside.

Opening the closet door, Red smiled softly and looked at the bottom and the girl sitting between old boxes and clothes.

"Hello Elizabeth." He greeted her in a low voice and caught the girl in his expectant arms when she sprang up and threw herself against him. Pressing her face against his thigh, she giggled happily.

"Red! You really came!"

"Of course I did. I promised you, didn't I?" Red entangled her arms from his legs and threw her into the air, catching her into his arms. "And promises are never to be broken." Although the skin at his back tugged uncomfortably, Red had taken enough pain medications, that the still alive nerves were numbed completely. Situating the girl on his hip, he wiped some wild hair strands out of her face and grinned.

"I see you have new clothes."

Both of them looked down her body and the stark red dress and her bunny house shoes elicited very different reaction. Red smiled brightly and Elizabeth scrunched up her nose.

"What? You don't like it?"

"Daddy always wanted me to wear red." The comment stood in the air without any further comment. Red filed it away for later analysis and he didn't want to say something rash and make her crawl back into her shell.

"So…did you eat something today?" he asked instead, maneuvering them both to the bed. She nodded and started to fidget with her bunny.

"Sam gives me puzzles before eating."

Red titled his head to look into her face and was surprised to see no regret or anger in it.

"What kind of puzzles did your daddy give you?"

Elizabeth didn't even seem to think about and it bubbled out of her immediately.

"Nothing big. Small picture puzzles, sometimes math problems…word puzzles." She stopped for a moment and bit her lower lip in deep thoughts. Suddenly she seemed to remember something and she smiled. "Last thing I learned were niumercal secfences." She looked at him uncertainly, obviously knowing that she wasn't sure about the pronunciation, and although the childish pronunciation made him smile, the fact that she knew it was wrong caused him a little bit of a foul feeling in his stomach. It was one more puzzle piece in the big and very complicated picture that lay before him.

"Did you like the puzzles?" Red inquired.

"Yeah…" she answered happily and suddenly paused when she heard Naomi's laugh through the door.

"Who's that?"

Her eyes grew big and a scared look took over her face while she looked back and forth between Red and the door.

"Don't be scared. I brought my wife. She wants to meet you."

Elizabeth seemed curious but also a little bit shy about meeting Naomi.

"I will hold your hand alright?" Red offered and held his hand to her, which she took without hesitance. "And you will have bunny at your side too. He will protect you."

She giggled and hugged the stuffed animal to her.

"I am protecting Bunny." She explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Red's genuine laugh made her giggle again and when he let her slid down his knee, she was looking more confident than a minute before.

But the moment the door opened and Red stepped out, he could feel the tension returning into her body and she started hanging back. When they reached the living room, where Naomi and Sam were sitting at the table and drinking their coffee, suddenly everyone halted in their movements, staring at each other.

Red felt the girl next to him grip his hand harder and take half a step back and he decided it was time to intervene.

"Elizabeth, this is my wife Naomi. Naomi, this is Elizabeth. The girl I have told you so many good things about."

He looked back at the girl and saw her gazing up at him in wonder and then back at Naomi, seeing that the woman stood up and was walking towards them.

To Red's surprise, Elizabeth stood her ground and did not hide behind him like she did the first night. He did feel her body starting to retreat though. Before she could go into flight mode, Naomi had reached them and kneeled down to the girl, smiling softly at her. It reminded Red of all the times his wife had watched him play with their own daughter. This serene smile was not only beautiful but also mesmerizing.

"Hello, honey." Naomi greeted and reached out a hand to shake for the girl. Elizabeth actually took it and after shaking it timidly, let it drift over Naomi's long, dark hair.

"So pretty." She whispered and watched in awe how the strand of hairs slipped through her fingers.

Red suppressed an amused eye rolling. He had always joked about how his wife's hair seemed to be a magnet for every single child in the world. No matter if boy or girl. All of them had to touch it and play with it, making Naomi their number one play companion for the time being.

"Thank you." Naomi laughed. "You have pretty hair yourself." She added and wrapped gently a lock of deep brown hair around her finger, smiling constantly, to relax the girl.

"My mommy had long hair too." Elizabeth suddenly revealed, but let go of Naomi's hair and chose to step back, this time partly behind Red's leg.

Red caught his wife's sad look, warning her not to show her emotions to Elizabeth. Squeezing the girl's hand in his, Red pushed her gently in direction of the coffee table.

"C'mon, let's sit down and you can solve one of the picture puzzles I brought for you before eating cookies. Does that sound good?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically and almost dragged Red behind her and climbing onto the wooden chair on her own, awaiting the puzzle to be given to her.

"Stay here, ok? I will be back in a few moments with the puzzle."

Elizabeth didn't disagree, simply looked after Red and his wife until they disappeared behind the corner.

"She's a really sweet girl." Naomi said, when they reached their car. While opening the back door, Red sighed heavily.

"Yeah. But she needs help. As you said yourself."

"Do you think she would like to take a walk with me around here? Get to know her new home a little bit better."

Red frowned, closing the car door again and holding on tightly to the puzzles in his hands.

"I don't know, Naomi. She isn't so great with strangers…"

"She needs to get used to them." Naomi countered and Red was aware of the fact that she was right. In the next few months, Elizabeth would need to meet a lot of knew people and also do it without Red at her side, so she really did need to get used to it. But wasn't it too early? Red shook his head at himself. He was being silly. The first time their daughter went to kindergarten, Red had almost suffered from an anxiety attack, only stopped by the calming nature of his wife.

"I guess you are right."

"You know I am." Naomi grinned cheekily at him and turn around, walking back to the house, leaving a stunned but smiling Red in her wake.

After solving the puzzle in record time, eating cookies and drinking coffee and in Elizabeth's case milk, Red explained to the girl that he would like her to go with Naomi outside. After first hesitance and vehement head shaking, Elizabeth finally agreed. After inhaling another twenty minutes of medication, Red was standing on the porch and watching his wife and Elizabeth marching down the pebbled path in direction of the little forest next to Sam's house.

"Is she going to be alright?" Sam asked him, leaning against the wooden railing.

"I hope so." Red answered, mirroring his stance. "Naomi has a way with children. They should be best friend by the time they return." He laughed suddenly.

"Sam, my friend. Would you mind giving me a littlie massage? I even brought the oils!"

Half an hour later…

The trees around them were swaying in the wind and the few leafs still left on them, were rustling eerily. Although it was late fall, the weather was warm enough, that Naomi had to pull away the shawl she had carelessly thrown around her neck. Glancing down at the child next to her, she furrowed her brows and her hand fiddled with the torn inner material of her jacket pocket. Elizabeth hadn't spoken one word since they had left the house and also didn't look up to her once.

"How are you feeling, Elizabeth?" Naomi finally asked her, taking a seat on a fallen log, giving the girl no other choice but stand in front of her and acknowledge her presence.

"Alright." Was the stoic answer, while she shuffled her feet over the leaf covered ground.

"Do you like it here with Sam or would you rather be with your parents?" the question seemed to surprise Elizabeth, since her head rose abruptly and she looked Naomi in the eyes.

"I like it here." The answer came too fast for Naomi's liking but she just smiled, before she patted the log next to her, inviting Elizabeth to sit. To her extreme surprise the girl complied and started to talk again.

"It's nice here. There are so many trees and it is so quiet."

"Has it been loud where you have been before."

Elizabeth nodded and looking down at her bunny and fiddling with his long ears.

"The bunny is really nice. Did you get it from your parents?" Naomi asked, trying to make conversation and find out something new about the girl's past.

"From my mommy. I think."

Elizabeth's dark hair was ruffled by the wind that was picking up with the approaching dusk. She kept swiping it behind her ears and biting her lower lip, which told Naomi that she was agitated and not comfortable with the conversaion's topic.

"Do you want to walk a bit further or back to the house?"

The answer was exactly what Naomi had expected.

"Back, please."

"Alright." Naomi sighed and they stood up simultaneously, Elizabeth losing the grip on her stuffed toy though, and letting it fall to the ground. The girl was about to bent down to pick it up, when Naomi did the same and due to her longer arms reached it firs and picked it up, brushing off dirt and leafs.

What happened next was so unexpected and so strange, that Naomi froze in her movements and just stared at Elizabeth for a few seconds. The moment the girl looked up and saw the bunny in the woman's hands, her breathing started to become labored and her eyes grew large. When Naomi didn't make a move to give it back to her, suddenly a piercing scream left the girl's body. Still paralyzed by the shock of the sudden violent reaction, Naomi gasped before asking.

"What's going on?"

"Bunny…" Elizabeth squeezed out through her dry throat and Naomi felt herself wince in pain when the girl's chest started to heave quicker. Looking down at her hands, Naomi shook her hand in confusion and quickly stretched out her arm, offering the toy to the girl, which was chanting something between breaths.

"Here…here is your bunny. C'mon…calm down." But no matter what Naomi tried, Elizabeth did not calm down, only started to grasp for the bunny and becoming more and more distressed, wailing as if in pain.

Naomi kneeled down in front of her and after the girl had taken the toy from her, grasped her shoulders and shook her gently but firmly.

"Elizabeth! You have to calm down."

Gasping for air, the girl stepped back and shook her head, repeating in between her tears three words over and over again.

"I'm not Elizabeth…"

Her eyes were shut tight and her hand was turning white from the tight grip on the stuffed animal.

"Elizabeth!" Naomi finally called out louder and reached once again for the girl, but this time the girl didn't wait for her to make contact with her shoulders, she turned and started running.

Meanwhile in the house, Red was showing his friend all the adopting forms he would need to fill out and sign, so that the adoption could be made legal as soon as possible. Red's friend at the adoption agency had agreed to not ask any further questions and that was exactly what they needed.

"You know, Ray." Sam suddenly started, after a longer silence had entered the living room, only broken by the chewing sounds the man made while eating cookies. "To be completely honest, I am not sure if I am ready to raise a child. I mean…look at me? I am an old soldier who has quit work because he wasn't strong enough to withstand the emotional demands anymore."

Red shifted in his seat, calmly swallowing the last morsel of his treat and then cleared his throat.

"I believe you are the perfect candidate for this. You have always wished for a family."

"Wishing is something else than having it. And as a single parent?" Sam countered, shaking his head.

Red had already a fitting comeback on the tip of his tongue, but the loud stomping on the porch distracted him and the frantic banging on the door made him jump up from the seat, running towards the noise. Reaching the door, closely followed by Sam, Red saw his wife standing in front of it, looking worried and scared at the same time. The second the door opened, she barged into the house and started to yell in distress.

"Raymond…Elizabeth…she ran…she was scared and I just wanted to help her with the bunny and she screamed and then she said she wasn't Elizabeth and then she ran…I lost sight of her after several minutes…I don't know where she is."

Red watched his wife gesticulate wildly and finally snatched her wrists gently into his hands and forced her to look into his eyes.

"What happened, Naomi?" the question was clear and the answer finally too. Naomi explained what had happened and couldn't hold back the tear that rolled out of her eye.

"I am sorry, but I really didn't know that she would react so violently if I took the toy."

"It's not your fault." Red reassured her, taking his jacket from the hook next to the door and opened the door again. "We will find her. She couldn't have gotten too far."

Within seconds, all adults were spread in the forest and were calling for the girl. Slowly the sky was starting to turn dark and the chance of finding her without her wanting to be found, were getting slimmer and slimmer. Red could feel the skin on his back starting to burn and he knew it was only a matter of a few minutes until the pain would be almost unbearable.

Taking a short break, Red stood still in the middle of the forest for a second and then reached into his pocket, taking out his pills. With a short-lived relief, he took one pill and then titled his head back, looking into the sky. They needed to find her. He needed to find her. He hadn't risked his life for this girl, just to lose her in a damn forest. Hoping that anger would make his search more efficient, Red tried to remember every single detail of the fire a few days ago, but the only pictures coming into his mind were those of Elizabeth alone in the dark forest. Scared and alone, holding on to her stuffed animal for dear life. Red shuddered when a cold wind ruffled through his clothes and he started to move again. After a few more meters he stopped calling out. His voice was starting to get rough and he wouldn't be surprised if all the ruckus would actually scare the girl even more.

Slowly he walked a little bit further and when he neared the path that would lead back to the house, his ears suddenly registered a noise. A rustling was coming from his right side and Red started to turn around very slowly, scanning the area with narrowed eyes. Daylight was almost completely gone by now and it was getting harder to distinguish between the different forms in the forest. Red spun around when this time the noise came from behind him and he gasped in momentary shock when he saw Elizabeth standing in front of him with windblown hair and the bunny in her hand, hanging at her side.

"Oh my…" he breathed and without hesitation went to her, falling onto his knees and enveloping her into a hug.

"Never…do that again. You hear me, Elizabeth?"

He felt her shivering and whimper quietly and he finally drew back from her to look into her tear stained face.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" his eyes automatically roamed over her quivering body, searching for scratched or any other kind of injuries, but besides some dirty spots on her face and clothes, he couldn't find anything.

"Elizabeth, talk to me!" the frustration in his voice became evident and the girl reacted in a way, he wouldn't have expected. Suddenly taking his hands in hers, she stepped closer and her eyes grew hard.

"Don't call me Elizabeth. I am not Elizabeth!" her voice was rising again, but it wasn't able to get as strong as it had before, since it was already too raw from screaming and crying an hour ago.

Red was taken aback by her exclamation. He hadn't taken the into consideration that her name might not be her original one. But now, kneeling here on the forest ground, with his back stinging and the girls gasps penetrating his ears, he actually admitted that it was more than possible that her father had given her a new name to make it easier to hide her from her mother.

"What is your name than?" he finally asked gently, but Elizabeth only shook her head and took a step back.

"I'm not supposed to tell. Daddy said I was not to say the name ever again…or something bad would happen."

He could see her getting worked up again and at this point he was starting to get more worried about her suffocating herself than getting more information from her.

"Alright, alright, honey…I wont call you Elizabeth anymore ok?"

He watched her nod frantically, sniffing and drying her tears with a balled hand. He could see her trying to be brave, but it was obvious that she was teetering on the edge now.

The light was almost nonexistent by now and Red had to squint to see the girl in front of him. His arm slowly rose from his side and he was overjoyed and immensely relieved when she didn't flinch away but leaned into his touch, seeking protection and comfort.

"Let's go home, Lizzie." The nickname slipped effortlessly from his lips and as if the sun had decided to come back again, Elizabeth started to smile. Nodding, she threw herself against Red and hugged him tightly.

"I'd like that. Couse I'm cold." She whispered, against his jacket and Red huffed a laugh. Standing up stiffly, he positioned her in one of his arms and smiled up at her.

"Please hold on tight my lady, the ride might become a little bit bumpy."

It wasn't a full blown, deep belly giggle that immerged from Lizzie, but even though it was shy in nature, it was something Red knew he would never forget again.

Half an hour later Red, Naomi and Sam were sitting mutely around the coffee table and looked into their tea mugs. Once in a while there could be heard a heavy sigh or a grumble which was too unclear to understand. When Red raised his hand with the tea mug for the up tenth time, Sam finally opened his mouth to speak.

"So they changed her name…"

"Yeah…" Red confirmed after swallowing the tea painfully. His throat felt constricted with nervousness. Only now it became clear to him what he had maneuvered himself into with the child's rescue. This was bigger than him.

"She's ok with Lizzie?" Naomi threw in, pushing away her mug.

Red nodded simply, not knowing what else to add. He knew both Sam and Naomi must have questions, but he also knew that he didn't have them and therefore couldn't give them any. So why even start talking?

Red didn't look up from his cold tea, but the tapping of someone's fingers against the table was driving him mad. It was crossing his thoughts, not letting him concentrate on his planning. Although he had to admit that right now, he couldn't come up with a better plan than he already had discussed with his wife and Sam. Sam adopting the girl and Red severing any obvious ties to them as soon as possible. The fact that Liz' father seemed to have changed her name to make her disappear was actually doing them a favor and they didn't need to worry about that too much. The girl not wanting to be called Elizabeth was a phase for sure and after a while she would get used to it and be alright with the name. If they now could only find out her real name. Red sighed, standing up and started to pace.

"Ray?" Naomi's voice was gentle but he could still hear a slight tremor in it. The events of the evening have shook her up. Obviously, she hadn't expected such a…twisted situation.

"What?" he huffed, not stopping his nervous movements.

"We should take her to a psychologist." Naomi may have been right, but at this point, Red didn't want to hear anything about strangers meddling in their business. It was simply too dangerous. So he answered briskly and strongly.

"No."

"What do you mean "no"? Didn't you see how…distressed she had been? Still is!"

Red knew his wife was angry at him. He didn't need to be a rocket scientist to see that. Her eyes were blazing dangerously and her hands were balled into fists. She looked incredibly sexy but Red was aware of the fact that she could actually do some damage if aggravated in this state. He took in a very deep breath, holding it for a couple of seconds and finally let it out slowly, feeling more collected and calm than seconds before.

"We can't get a stranger to talk to her, Naomi. Can you imagine what this doctor will do when Lizzie tells them the story of her short life?" Waiting a second with his answer more for dramatic reasons than really for an reaction, he started to talk again while stepping closer to his wife.

"He or she will call the police. If not the FBI and so forth. It will be a disaster of…" Red shook his head in almost disbelieve while he thought of the consequences that might await them if this scenario would ever come to be reality. "…monstrous proportions." He ended, his voice dropping into a growl. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this would be? Not only for her but for us? For our daughter?"

"Stop yelling at me!" Naomi couldn't stop her voice from rising. "It wasn't me who got our family into trouble. We are not here because of me, Raymond!"

Red gaped at her, leaning against the table with one hand and the other stemmed into his hip.

"So what?" he laughed sarcastically. "What was I supposed to do? Leave the girl in the fire? To burn alive?"

"No…I didn't…" Naomi tried to cut him off but Red was just starting his tirade.

"You didn't what? Think that she would have died if I hadn't found her? That maybe she would have made it out on her own or someone else would have saved her?" Red's voice wasn't loud and that was exactly what worried Naomi. She knew her husbands tells as well as her own and his deep, calm tone was one of the most creepiest things about him or anyone else she had ever known. She hadn't heard it too often, but the times she had, it wasn't directed at her. Now it was and she felt herself draw back from him and her mouth growing dry. So she didn't answer.

"Well…I didn't think so." Red scoffed at her and turned his back on her, storming outside.

tbc...

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Let me know what ya think, please:)

I want to thank you cool guys which reviewed the last chapter! You made my day:)


	9. The Big Surprise

My gosh guys...I am terribly sorry for the long wait. My muse kind of left me and every word is a struggle. I hope she will be done with her vacation soon and will returned soon!

I want to thank every single one of you who was kind enough to review! THANK YOU!YOU ARE THE BEST

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine(for details, go to Prologue)

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Chapter 8

While Red was taking a walk around the house, mumbling to himself constantly, Lizzie sat at her window and watched him. Her bunny was still pressed against her chest and her arms tense around her stuffed friend. Her thoughts went to her parents and tears gathered in her eyes. Daddy had made her promise to never tell her real name to anyone and as much as she felt like she should tell Red, after hurting her daddy, she didn't want to break the last promise she had given him. Then her mind wandered to the other promise she had given him. Her eyes slid from the window, down to her bunny and she sighed. She had given her daddy the permission to hide his secret in her toy. She had watched him saw her bunny together after the small black object had been slid in between the fluffy insides of her friend. And afterwards, she had accepted the responsibility of keeping the bunny and the secret safe. Her father had taught her from the time she could remember what it meant to feel responsible and how to keep secrets and she was aware of the fact, that this little object in her bunny was only an extension of her own knowledge that she had gathered with help of her father. Instead of lullabies and fairy tales, she had learned names and places and numbers. Instead of a nightly prayer, Elizabeth had to recite all those learned facts in a specific order. Those were her poems and her prayers. Her fairytales and lullabies. Her real friends. But now there was Red. And Sam. They wanted her to relax and told her stories she found were mostly illogical but at the same time made her smile and imagine a world without hundreds of names she often couldn't even pronounce.

Her eyes caught Red's form rounding the corner for the third time and she sighed. She didn't want to be any trouble for him or him to be angry. She remembered the girl Red had showed to her. Jenny. Liz was sure that his daughter was no trouble at all. She was a dancer. Liz remembered she was once supposed to learn something about a dancer named Lilly May. It hadn't been her real name, but the way she danced was making everything else seem so unimportant. She had been able to stand on her toes for such a long time and she swung around and around until even Liz had become dizzy from watching her. That night she had secretly tried to dance like this woman. Secretly, in her room. But she had failed. Her toes hurt and she felt her head spinning after only two turns. The woman must have had magic powers. Maybe Red's daughter did too. Maybe…

Suddenly a smile came over the girls face. Liz had superpowers of her own. And she would show them to Red first thing in the morning.

Next morning…

Red had come to bed when he had been sure that Naomi was in a deep sleep already. He didn't need another confrontation. His anger had dissipated enough so that he felt safe enough to get back into the house, but he hadn't been too keen to meet anyone and talk. He had heard some muffled voices from Sam's living room and he guessed that Sam was watching TV. Odd enough in the middle of the night, but Red wouldn't question it.

Slowly he stood up from the bed, stretched thoroughly and stepped to the window, hoping to find some more piece in natures wonders. Suddenly all his movements ceased and he stared through the glass in a mixture of awe, worry and surprise. Instead of nature's wonders, Red's eyes fixed on the little girl, that was wearing a ballet skirt, obviously made out of paper.

"Whoa…" he gasped quietly, still rooted to the spot. He felt his wife stepping up behind him and heard her halt in the middle of her yawn, when she looked through the window.

"What is she doing?" she asked in wonderment.

"Dancing." Was Red's only answer. For a while both adults watched the girl in the yard, when suddenly there was a knock on their door.

"Come in." Naomi called, without turning.

"Ah…" Sam's voice floated closer, when he stepped behind them, craning his neck to see through the window. "I see you already spotted her."

"Indeed." Red whispered. "Did you teach her that?" he asked, turning away from the window for the first time.

"Me?" Sam laughed. "She barely speaks to me, when was I supposed to teach her ballet?" The room fell silent again and Red's eyes moved back to the girl, that was getting a rest on the wooden bench on the left side of the yard.

"Did she do that before?" he asked Sam.

"No." was the simple answer and Red sighed.

"I told her about Jenny. That she is dancing."

"This is crazy." Naomi told her husband and after another long glance outside, she turned to him and tapped a foot in the ancient rhythm of impatience against the floor. "This girl needs help." She added with a serious expression on her face. Red laughed humorlessly. "And why are you looking at me like that? I didn't teach her that,"

"You know why. It it's not about who taught her to dance."

Red stared at his wife for a second and then the tension evaporated with a deep sigh from him. "I know. But you do have to admit that she is actually good."

The glare his wife send him let him know that he wouldn't be able to convince her that this situation was in any way harmless.

"What do you want me to do, Naomi?" he asked quietly, his tone taking on something accusatory. "She's a child. She just lost her parents and my guess is that she never before has encountered a genuinely nice person in her life. She was conditioned to function. And that's what she is trying to do. She is adapting to the required standards of, what she thinks, being loved."

"Just tell her the truth, Raymond." Naomi softly responded, lying a hand on his forearm and looking at him with pity in her eyes. But Raymond Reddington didn't need pity. He wanted a solution to this problem. One that wouldn't hurt Elizabeth, nor anyone else in his family. But he knew that was a dream and it would always stay one. Every decision has a consequence and someone always ends up hurt. That is a law in Red's life. And he got used to it.

"I'll talk to her." Red sighed. "But I can't promise anything."

He started to walk slowly towards the door, leaving Sam and Naomi standing at the window, sharing concerened looks.

Just when he was about to step over the threshold, his cellphone rang in the kitchen. He stopped immediately and his eyes narrowed. At least a dozen of possible callers flashed through his mind, but finally he shook himself into action and jogged to the ringing object.

"Hello." He started and was surprised to hear the familiar voice of his neighbor.

"Mr. Reddington? I am sorry to disturb you but you gave me this number in case something happened with the house and you weren't there." The voice of an obviously older lady explained to him.

"I remember Mrs. Grady. Did something happen?"

There was a slight pause, and Red looked back at his friend and wife that joined him in the kitchen, watching him expectantly.

"Mr. Reddington…" the woman started hesitantly. " The other night I couldn't sleep, you know…the old bones just don't want to do what they are supposed to."

Red had to close his eyes in order to stay patient with Mrs. Grady. She was a non-stop talker, but she was also very nosy and observant. Nothing happened without her knowing it.

"…and the cat has been so restless all day, so I knew that something bad was about to happen and then in the middle of the night there was this noise. Almost as of wood was breaking somewhere. I went to the window and after a while I saw it."

"What was it, Mrs. Grady?" Red asked, now starting to sweat.

"A light. In your house. I called Eddy but he was asleep."

"Did you call the police?" Red questioned quickly, before she could start to explain her husband's sleeping habits.

"I wanted to, but I didn't see the light again and who would have believed me. You know how they are with old people."

"Alright." Red finally said. "Thank you for the call. We will be back as soon as we can."

"What happened?" Naomi asked when she saw Red put the phone away. Slowly he turned and she knew it couldn't be anything good. Red had lost all the color in his face and his features were hard as stone. Emotionless.

"That's how it starts." He whispered. Looking at his wife, he swallowed hard.

"Someone has broken into our house."

tbc...

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Let me know what ya think and again sorry for the long wait!


	10. Final Goodbyefor now

My gosh...guys...I am SO Sorry...there is no way to explain how sorry I am for taking so long to update! And yes, I know you actually deserve a much longer chapter than this but guys...I dont get anything done right now and I thought better this than nothing...right?

I hope you like it at least a little bit! And sorry again!

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (details in the Prologue)

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Chapter 9

The harsh wind was blowing through Liz' hair while she gasped for air. The little dancing session had been pure fun but now she was exhausted. Sitting on the log that was slightly warmer than all other options, Liz' chest was heaving up and down and she felt a slight stinging pain in it. Not bad enough to feel tears forming, but bad enough to make her stop the frantic movements. She knew that Red had seen her dancing from the window and she really hoped that it had been good enough for him to at least consider taking her with him. Maybe Naomi liked it too and she would agree to have Liz in her family.

When her breathing had calmed down and she looked back to the window, there was no one there anymore. Her face fell and she looked to the uneven ground, sighing loudly. Well, maybe it hasn't been good enough.

Before she could make any other assumptions about the situation, she heard footsteps behind her and she whirled around, almost falling when her skirt caught on the rough wood of the log.

"Whoa…easy." Red cooed and held her arms to steady her. "It's only me." He added when he saw the flash of fear in her eyes.

"Sorry, she apologized meekly, not knowing what she was actually apologizing for.

Red looked at her for a moment with concern, but decided to ignore this topic for now and turn to one that was even more hurtful, but unavoidable.

"Lizzie, we need to talk."

The girl titled her head to the side, curiosity appearing now in her face, which made Red feel even worse.

"Do you want to sit down for a second, sweetheart?"

When they sat and Liz turned her head to look at Red, he breathed in deeply and in a spontaneous and quick movement, took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Honey…" he started finally and hesitantly, gulping before continuing. "Naomi and I will need to leave soon."

Immediately he saw Liz' face take on a sad expression. "Someone broke into our home and we have to go back." He explained further.

"Is Jenny ok?" Lizzie asked, obvious concern in her voice, which warmed Red.

"Yeah. She is ok, Lizzie. Thank you for asking."

He paused for a moment and after closing his eyes for a second, he once again started to talk.

"But that isn't the only thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"You're gonna leave me here, aren't you? Forever." The girl asked before Red was able to explain anything. For a moment he was too perplexed and only a quiet "Uhm…" came over his lips. Gathering his thoughts and plans he had laid out before coming outside once again, he nodded more to himself than for the girl's benefit.

"Yes."

Although the answer was almost breaking his heart, Red opted for the hard but clear truth. When his eyes landed on Liz's face, he felt his heart stopping for a second. He had expected tears, screaming and sobs, but the calm face meeting his eyes made him feel sick. She accepted it as if she had expected it. As if it was something normal. She pursed her lips and her shoulders tensed visibly. Turning to him, her round blue eyes shimmered slightly with tears.

"Sweetheart, you will be fine." Red whispered and again squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Sam will take great care of you and he really likes you!"

"But I want you to like me." Lizzie suddenly cried and jumped up, stomping one foot.

Surprised and slightly taken aback by the anger emanating from the girl, Red opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came to his mind and he closed it again. He hadn't seen her like this before. Scared and simply neutral, yes, but this angry, so suddenly, he didn't. Little spitfire, he thought briefly.

"Lizzie…"

"No!" her scream echoed all around them and Red slowly stood up, looking down at the heavily breathing girl. Her hands once again tightly pulled into fists, she looked almost dangerous.

"That's enough, Lizzie!" Red's voice wasn't really loud, but the hard tone he used made Liz freeze and look up to him. The wind picked up again as if it wanted to argue with them. "You will have to accept…" Red swallowed and licked his lips in nervousness. "…you will have to accept that I won't be able to come and visit anymore. And that you can't come with me."

Still, there was no screaming or crying, only a pout appeared on Liz' face. Her hands twisted into the material of her skirt and she nodded, while her cheeks reddened even more.

"Ok." She meekly answered and nodded again, her hair swinging wildly up and down. "I knew I wouldn't be good enough…"

"It's not about being good enough or not, Lizzie." Red sighed and kneeled in front of her, untangling her fists from her skirt and holding them against his chest.

"It is necessary that we don't see each other again. You know what it means if something is dangerous, right?" When he saw her nod, he smiled sadly. "That's what it would be for both of us if you stayed with me and my family."

"Why?" she asked him curiously.

"Lizzie, bad man are searching for you. And the first place they will look for you is in my house and with me."

"Oh…"

Red's eyes narrowed at her answer and he was more than surprised to see understanding in her features. But he didn't need to question her further, because for once Lizzie felt like sharing, without thinking about consequences.

"You know about bunny. You want to protect him too." With every word, the girl's face became brighter and her smile grew wider.

Red considered asking the child what she meant, but was too afraid to make her suspicious of what he really knew. Better she thought he knew about her secret and keep her open and talking.

"Yeah, kiddo." He smiled warmly at her. "Do you understand now why I have to go?"

Liz seemed to think for a moment, but then she answered seriously.

"Yeah. But I don't like it."

"I don't like it either sweetheart."

Half an hour later…

"She simply accepted it?" Naomi asked, while throwing her hat and shawl into the car. She looked back at her husband, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"It seems as if her father told her to protect her bunny at any cost. She isn't happy but I think she'll make it through. But as soon as I can, I will send Sam a number to a good therapist. She seems to become a little bit…unbalanced."

Naomi leaned against the car after closing the door and sighed.

"Well…can you blame her? But the bunny? It sounds a bit…"

"Strange, doesn't it?" Red helped his wife out. "I told Sam about it and he will inspect it when the occasion arises." Kicking a little pebble away, Red cleared his voice and pursed his lips.

"You know…" he started to talk, while looking into the woods behind the car.

"I wish this could end here and she would grow up in Sam's care without any problems from the past, but I am pretty sure this is only the beginning for her. And for us. We are in deep trouble Naomi and I will be completely honest to you, I have no idea how this will turn out."

"I know." Naomi agreed hesitantly, trying to school her features when she saw Sam coming out of the house, with a shy looking Liz attached to his hand.

"Drive safe my friends!" Sam called, smiling at them. Red smiled back, as sincerely as he could muster and opened his arms wide to except his friends hug.

"Take good care of her." He whispered into Sam's ear and clapped him on his back.

"I will." Sam answered equally quiet and let go of red, turning to Naomi, while Red crouched down to Liz.

"Be a good girl, sweetheart and take care of Sam, ok? I trust you to keep an eye on him for me."

Lizzie nodded, hugging her bunny with one arm. "But who will take care of you?"

Red smiled at her, feeling tears prickling in his eyes, but swallowed them quickly. Leaning forward, he pulled the girl into a hug and closing his eyes. After only a few seconds he let go and abruptly stood up.

"Let's go Naomi, we have to make it back before seven." He walked around the car and banged the door closed.

Naomi smiled sadly at Lizzie and ruffled her hair gently.

"Bye, sweetheart. I'll miss you."

She gave Sam another smile and followed Red into the car.

When the car finally disappeared from view, Sam slowly walked into the house, looking back just when he stepped over the threshold. Lizzie was standing where he had left her, her bunny hanging from her hand almost like a rag doll. This girl would be more trouble than he had anticipated. But he also liked her already more than he had anticipated.

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tbc...

Again, I am so sorry but if you'd be kind enough to leave a little comment I would be REALLY greatful! I will really try to post the next chapter within the next week!


	11. The Beginning of the Journey

Hello my fellow readers:)

It's once again a short story and I dont even have an idea if it is realistic, but hey...it's fan FICTION right? And i am so busy working on my christmas presents that I just can't wrap my mind around ver complex story lines right now;)

Hope you'll like it anyway:)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine(details in Prologue)

Chapter 10

Hours later Red and Naomi arrived at their home. Although tired and worried about their daughter, their first stop was at their house. They parked the car a few blogs away and walked briskly through the dark streets until they reached their back porch.

"Stay here." Red whispered and put his finger over Naomi's lips. "Shhh."

Slowly he opened the door only a few inches, so that he could slip into the house quietly. Taking the flashlight from his car, he clicked it on and a beam of light appeared, shining the way to the kitchen. Slowly Red walked further inside the room and looked in every single corner to make sure that he was the only one in the house. Only a few minutes later, he started to relax a little bit and called Naomi to come inside. He was just about to inspect the upper level once again, when he heard Naomi calling him. When he reached the living room, where her voice was coming from, he found her standing next to the table and looking down at a piece of paper.

"What's this?" he asked her, when he reached his wife and directed his flashlight onto the paper.

"I guess someone knows you are a ghost now."

Red frowned and read the note.

Stay dead or your family will join you

"Oh god." Red whispered and his eyes wandered to his wife. "We need to go, Naomi." He was about to grab her hand, when she stepped away from him and shook her head.

"No, Ray. We can't go. This is our home. Our life. I can't just disappear."

"But…"

"What about our daughter? She has friends here. Her life is here."

"Her life is in danger here!" Red's voice boomed through the house and he felt his veins starting to pump blood faster and faster through them. Anger was boiling in his body and his hands were starting to shake.

"What are you saying, Naomi?" he growled. "That you are willing to risk our daughters life just to stay here? You can't be serious."

He gaped at her and suddenly everything clicked into place.

"Wait a second…" he glared at her unbelieving. "You want me to go, don't you?"

The silence covered them like a thick and suffocating blanket. Only Red's ragged breathing could be heard until Naomi finally moved a hand and put it on her husband's arm.

"It's not that I want you to go." She whispered, "But…I always told you that your work is dangerous. That it is dangerous for our family."

"You knew what I was doing for a living when you agreed to marry me." Red answered, dangerously quiet and ripped his arm from her grip.

"Yes I did, but I had the hope that when we got a child, you would quit."

"Simple as that, right?" Red quipped, laughing with malice. "You thought I would simply throw my career out the window and leave my family without any steady income…you really thought that?"

"I hoped…"

"I don't care what you hoped, Naomi! You thought wrong. You and Jenny are the center of my life and I would do anything for you to make your life as pleasant as possible. And living on the streets isn't pleasant, at least not for me."

"We could have found some other way. You are clever, Ray, you could have worked in some other profession."

Red snorted in disbelieve and shook his head, walking away from his wife.

"You're actually serious." He stated, again shaking his head. His hand glid through his short hair and he ruffled it in frustration. Hearing Naomi's voice made him lower his arm and turn though.

"I don't want you to leave." She started, a tear threatening to fall. "I just don't see any other way out of this mess."

"Sure." Red scoffed and walked back to the backdoor. "Don't tell her anything about what happened. She deserves a normal life."

Just when he was about to disappear through the door, Naomi made a step closer.

"Raymond!"

He stopped, holding the door open and not turning.

"Don't you want to say goodbye to your daughter?"

That made him turn and glare at her.

"I won't endanger her more than I already have. Tell her there was an accident. The less she has to lie the more believable it will be."

When the door closed and the darkness overwhelmed her, Naomi sat down on the couch and started to cry. She had been so sure he wouldn't walk out. So sure he wouldn't leave them. But than again, she also had been sure he would quit his job for them years ago.

An hour later…

"Sam? I will be going under. I just wanted you to write down the name and number for the psychologist."

"Going under?" Sam sounded almost frightened. "What happened?"

"I cant tell you." Red answered, as calmly as possible. "I won't be able to contact you for a while, but I promise you that I won't stop searching until I find details about what happened to Lizzie and who is after us. Should I find out something critical, I will inform you. Maybe it will help her deal with her past."

There was silence on the other end and Red looked at the phone suspiciously, fearing the connection had been cut. But just when he was about to hang up, Sam's voice rang through the receiver.

"I found something in her bunny. I don't know how it works but it seems that it is what you are searching for."

"Hide it." Red told him without hesitation. "Hide it somewhere and don't tell anyone where it is. Including myself."

"What?...You are making no sense…"

"If they find me…they will torture me. I don't want to know too much."

Another silent moment crept up but Red started to talk again before it could get too awkward.

"Naomi threw me out. There was a letter in the house, threatening my family. I wanted them to come with me but…"

"She didn't want to leave her life behind?" Sam finished the sentence for him, sighing while the words left his mouth.

"Yeah…" Red groaned. His head leaned against the glass of the phone booth and his lips pursed. "I will have to disappear for a while, but I will contact you from time to time if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't." Sam quickly answered. He cleared his throat, before he decided to tell his friend the newest developments.

"I don't want to distract you and add to your worries Ray…but Elizabeth is starting to have nightmares. Bad ones."

Closing his eyes, Red shook his head, sad and angry at the same time.

"About?" he finally asked.

"Her father. The moment she killed him. She dreams he comes back and wants her to apologies, but when she does…he disappears."

Red nodded, although he knew that his friend wouldn't be able to see him. His thoughts were with Lizzie and how they could help her. He felt helpless. Being so far away and not even being able to protect his own family properly, he didn't think that he would be any good at helping the traumatized girl.

"Get her to the psychologist. She should start therapy as soon as possible." He told Sam. "I have to go. Take care, my friend."

Before Sam could react, only the dial tone was left. This and the cries of the girl which had once again woken up.

tbc...

Let me know what you think, please:)


	12. Living on the Sidelines

Hey guys:)

I was really trying to be fast with this chapter and I am already sorry for all the mistakes I surely made! And also I am sorry to inform you that there is not Lizzie/Red in this chapter:( But hey...we really do need to stay focused and not drift (too much) into the dream land, right?:)

Ok, so I guess there will be one or two more chapters and an epilogue following this chapter so we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now:) And then I am happy to finally start a new story...maybe something christmasy? We'll see I guess:)

For now: Hve fun with the chapter:)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine(for details, see Prologue)

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Chapter 11

Seven months later…

Red was sitting in a quiet busy bar, sipping his scotch, when he was startled by his phone vibrating in his pocket. His outer calmness had been shattered by a constant looking over his shoulder and near misses by the local police a few months before. Fishing his phone out, was an ordeal on its own. The new model he had stolen from an innocent couple only days ago was bulky and heavy, disturbing his still healing back. Being a ghost meant that he couldn't afford to go to a masseuse three times a week, so he went without a good rub on the back for at least two weeks. The skin getting dry, cracking and not just once oozing thick red blood, spoiling the only shirt he owned at given time.

"Yes." He answered his phone, concealing any trace of pain or stress in his voice.

"H…Hello? Mr. Reddington?" the male voice sounded shaky and impossibly uncomfortable. Red on the other side, relaxed instantly upon hearing the man speak.

"Sparky." He greeted, laughing quietly. "Long time no hear. How have you mean my friend."

The silence told him everything he needed to know. Sparky had found something that wouldn't sit well with him.

"We should meet." He proposed, his voice now deep and serious.

"I…I am in New York currently. We could meet within the hour."

Without further words, Red ended the phone call and gulped down his drink in one swift movement. He paid his bill and was on his way to their usual meeting place.

At the feet of the Bayonne Bridge, shadowed in the darkness of the night, Red waited for Sparky, who hopefully would bring him useful information he had been waiting for for over two months. Only minutes later, a man crept up behind him and by the smell of oil and paint, Red immediately knew that his informant had arrived.

"Hello, sparky. Isn't it a beautiful night today?"

"I guess so." The scrawny man answered, holding a thick folder full of papers towards him. "But it wont be anymore once you've read those."

Red slowly turned around, his eyes dark with concern.

"Sum it up for me." He demanded, while taking the folder from the man.

Sparky sighed, scratched his cheek and shook his head.

"I don't know where you know those people from or what business you had with them, but they are bad news. The couple…they were conducting experiments on homeless people. Regarding the intelligence of human beings. I found notes about them comparing humans to machines. Using them to store information." He halted, hesitating to say more.

"What else." Red barked, feeling his stomach twist.

"The woman had a degree in chemistry and visited some advanced biology classes. She…was known to have a very strange perspective on viruses and such."

"What does that mean?" Red's stomach was now a knot of nerves, and the feeling of unease made way for a sickening panic.

"Well…she saw viruses as a potential weapon. Rumors say that a secret organization has got their fingers on her when she was still quiet young."

"She was a dancer." Red whispered in disbelieve.

"Oh yeah…she was dancing since she was a girl of three years. I mean you know how it is…ambitious parents and all that. But in her free time she was doing some other things."

"The secret organization." Red reminded Sparky, before he could drift into a long discussion about parenthood.

"Oh yeah. Well, they gave her the means to experiment with viruses and it seems that she was quiet successful. When she met her future husband, he introduced another kind of science to her. They kept on experimenting away until suddenly in 1984 they stopped. The records and notes break off and like emerging from the other side of a black hole they reappear in 1986 with only one subject. A little girl had been groomed to be a genius. There is not much about her in there, because some of the records had been destroyed in a fire. My friend says that they had some of their notes at home when they died."

"Does your friend know what happened to the girl?"

Sparky shook his head enthusiastically.

"I am telling you, this is the craziest thing of all. The girl was supposed to be in the house when they died, but she disappeared. They never found her body. Neither in the house nor in the forest surrounding the house. Isn't that creepy? It's as if she was a ghost or maybe…" He paused, looking at Red suddenly in concern. "Hey man, are you ok? You got kind of pale all of sudden."

"No, I am ok Sparky. Just ate too many onions I guess." Red cleared his throat and tried to compose himself again.

"Did your friend at least know how they died?"

"No. Almost everything about this night is classified. I don't think even the president has access to the records. But what he was able to find out, is that their bodies had been too burned to identify them properly. They found a man and a woman and it seems that had been enough for the police."

Red nodded, sensing the end of the explanation.

"Thank you, Sparky. You helped me immensely. You will be rewarded accordingly within the next few days. Please pass on my gratitude to Charlie as well."

"No big deal, Mr. Reddington." Sparky smiled almost shyly. "And you know you can count on my silence." He added while turning and climbing back onto the sidewalk.

"I know. Fare well." Red called after him and pressed the folder against his chest. A call was in order that he dreaded more than the next night in his dingy hotel room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Good evening, Sam. I have news for you."

The silence on the other side of the phone was broken by a dark laugh.

"Good to hear from you too, Ray. I am doing not so great and Elizabeth neither. Thank you for asking."

Red sighed. He didn't want to know any details right now. He was afraid that it would lure him into visiting. Which would be entirely too dangerous. And after visiting Lizzie, he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from sneaking around his wife's and daughters house. And this was absolutely not possible.

"I am going to send you a copy of a folder which concerns Elizabeth's past. I think it would be beneficial to her therapy if her therapist would read through it."

"Elizabeth is not going to the sessions anymore."

This surprised and worried Red and he felt his stomach once again starting to twist. If this continued he would get an ulcer, he thought bitterly.

"Why?" he simply asked.

"She wouldn't talk to her anymore. She was sitting and just look out of the window. Finally, the therapist relented and informed me that it was no use to come to her anymore. She couldn't help her."

Red sighed deeply, closing his eyes in regret. He wanted to comfort the girl. Help her in any way he could, but he felt as if his hands were tied.

"Give it another shot when you get the papers, Sam."

With that he simply ended the call.

Meanwhile in Nebraska…

Sam put back the phone into its cradle and heaved a sigh as deep as the ocean. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that it was midnight already and he hadn't gotten any kind of work done. Slowly he walked through the house, picking up random pieces of clothes which he carried to the bathroom where his washing machine stood. Mindlessly he loaded the washer and he almost started to laugh when he took a moment to step back and regard his work.

"Me as a househusband." He quipped and shook his head. "At least the lack of a woman matches my original plans."

Finishing in the bathroom, he walked out and walked into the kitchen, where a mountain of dirty dishes waited for him.

"What happened to take out every day, huh?" he asked himself, again shaking his head. But without any other comment or thought, he started to work on the first cup. His thoughts drifted from one topic to another, mostly hanging around his plans for tomorrow, when suddenly a piercing scream made him jump and throw a cup into the full sink. The explosion of breaking glass and screaming, echoed in Sam's head and for a moment he was rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do. But when the scream was cut off and the wailing started, he moved instantly. Running up the stairs and almost falling through the closed door, he found Lizzie's bed empty and another ear-slitting scream coming from inside of the wardrobe.

Without hesitation, Sam walked up to the wardrobe door and knelt down. This wasn't the first time this happened, so he knew that opening the door or even knocking would lead to even worse screaming. The approach had to be slow and quiet. Gentle. Which never had been Sam's strong side, but he was learning.

"Lizzie?" he whispered. "It's me, Sam. Can you hear me?"

The screaming stopped abruptly and the sobbing started almost immediately.

"Lizzie?" he once again tried, hoping that he would be able to get through to her faster than the last time, which had taken more than two hours for her to get out of the wardrobe.

To his surprise, her small voice drifted to him only seconds later.

"Red?"

The tears and the hope in her voice were almost Sam's undoing. Holding back his tears, he laid his hand against the door and sighed.

"No, honey. It's me, Sam. There is no fire, Lizzie."

The sobbing became reduced to an occasional sniffle and Sam felt brave enough to open the door. Slowly the door creaked open and Sam peeked inside, finding Lizzie cowering in the corner, hugging her bend legs.

"Wouldn't you like to come out of there, sweetheart? I can't crawl in there to be with you." Sam could see her head lifting from her knees, but he couldn't see her face behind her dark hair. "You're safe here." He tried again and was once again surprised when the girl stirred and unfolded herself, starting to crawl towards him.

When the first specks of light hit her face, Sam could see the tears glistening and it broke his heart all over again and he was reminded of why he was doing this. Why he gave up his comfortable single life. Why he cooked, why he folded clothes and why he cleaned up the house like never before. The tears of the girl and the beautiful doe like blue eyes told him why. Because this child was exactly what he had needed to start living again and not vegetate the rest of his time on earth. And he was what she needed. To survive.

tbc...

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As always, I will be thrilled to get some reviews. Btw...I'd like to thank every one of you guys who has been so kind to write me a little something and made my day with it:)


	13. Dark Hours

My dear readers and followers! I wish you a **MERRY CHRISTMAS** and I hope you'll like this little chapter! Dont mind the mistakes, I was trying to be fast and write between wrapping presents and decorating;)

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (for details, see Prologue)

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Chapter 12

"She did what?" Sam shouted through the phone and his eyes bulked dangerously. The woman on the other side, he was sure, was either very close to crying or she was getting a panic attack.

"I am so sorry. I have no idea how this could have happened. I was gone for only a moment, getting her a glass of water and suddenly she was gone. No trace of her. She must have run away. What other possibility is there?"

"She is four years old, for Pete's sake!" Sam thundered and stomped his foot in anger. All those people, so incompetent. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in 45 minutes. Keep looking." He ordered and hung up.

He made it to the psychologist's office in under 45 minutes and stormed into the building. Looking around frantically, Sam felt his pulse starting to get faster and faster. Before he got the chance to shout at the receptionist, he saw Liz' psychologist running towards him and gesturing wildly.

"I found her!" she called, before reaching him and Sam sighed in relief.

"Where?" he asked sternly, but he should have known that the answer wouldn't be ti his liking.

"She hid in a closet. We wouldn't have found her if she hadn't gotten one of her asthma attacks…" She wasn't even finished explaining the situation, when Sam started to run in direction of the staircase.

Entering the already well known office, Sam immediately approached the closet and opened the door slowly, so he wouldn't startle the hiding girl.

"Lizzie? Sweetheart, it's me, Sam."

What he found when the door was fully open, made his breath hitch in his throat. Lizzie coward in the farthest corner and was literally choking on her sobs and gasps.

Kneeling down, he inched closer, laying a soft hand on the girls shoulder. But he was only met with a flinch and another wet and painful sounding cough.

"Lizzie, you need to calm down now, you hear me?" Sam tried to keep his voice quiet but strong, to give her something to hold on to, but it didn't seem to help at all this time. Trying to look into Liz's eyes, he lowered his head and tightened his hold on her. When finally, he caught a glimpse at her face, he gasped and his own breathe left his lungs with a whooshing sound.

"Call 911." Sam called over his shoulder, not leaving the girl in front of him out of his sight. He could see Liz' lips starting to get a blue tinge and although he was as far from a doctor as an ant from an elephant, he did know that this situation was now getting much too dangerous for his taste.

Somewhere in Europe…

Red woke up with a start when he felt something moving against his hip. The first thought was that it might be a rat or something but when it didn't cease, he started to wake up and realized that it was his cell phone. Scrambling for the device, he almost fell from his camp bed, hissing when his back got jarred uncomfortably.

"What?" he barked into the phone, hoping the call would be dealt with in seconds and he would be able to go back to sleep. Two days without a wink of sleep was just too much for him after running from government for months.

"Raymond?"

The voice was, although low and obviously whispering, clear as day to Red and he frowned.

"Sam? Is everything alright?"

"No."

Red paused and his frown deepened. Slowly he set up, wincing all the way up before saying anything else.

"What happened? Is Lizzie ok?"

"No."

Red's eyes grew big, his lips pursed and suddenly anger took hold of him. Anger at Sam. For not telling him what happened. For not calling him sooner. For not keeping Lizzie safe. Trying to reign in his emotions and stay calm, he finally asked.

"Would you mind telling me what is going on? I can't help if I don't know." His voice was tense but still quiet. Living in a basement, under a unknowing families living room didn't allow him to be anything but that.

"She started to choke."

"Choke?" Red breathlessly asked, not yet understanding what had transpired a few thousand miles away. "How did she start to choke?"

"A car backfired and she panicked. She hid in the psychologists closet and made herself hyperventilate. Before I could reach her, she already had overstressed her lungs."

"Tell me she is alright now." Red demanded, his voice now slightly louder. His free hand formed a fist around the thin sheet he was using as a blanket. He felt the material stretch under his skin and it gave him a light satisfaction.

"She's in ICU." Sam told him quietly. "They say that she is out of the worst but they still want to keep her for a while."

"I'll be there in a few hours."

With that the call ended and both men knew exactly what would happen next. Decision time was coming closer and they both could hear it knocking at their door already. And it wouldn't be a welcome one.

Seven Hours later…

Red burst through the doors of the hospital and looked left and right, searching for Sam or a nurse. When he spotted a young nurse rounding the corner, he jogged over to her and asked her for directions to the ICU, which she gave him readily.

Like a whirlwind, he sped through the halls of the hospital, only stopping when he almost tripped over an extended leg of a sleeping person.

"Sam?"

The man sat up abruptly in his chair, grunting in surprise before recognizing his old friend.

"There you are. I was starting to worry." He told him, scrubbing his face roughly with one hand.

"How is she? Any news?"

"No." was Sam's tired answer and finally his eyes focused properly on Red and despite of his worry, a disbelieving smirk appeared on his face. For a moment both men stared at each other, until Sam cleared his throat and pointed at Red. "You…ehm…changed your look."

Sam almost laughed when he saw the embarrassed look on his friends face.

"I am…hiding…you know?"

Taking of his hat, Red shook his head and his hair, which he hadn't cut for months, fell free, framing his now bearded face.

"I can see that…" Sam said, leaning forward as if wanting to tell him a secret. "Under that Neanderthal beard, right? Good hiding spot." He quipped, earning an eye-roll and an annoyed clicking with Red's tongue.

Before Red could open his mouth to snarl at Sam, a doctor appeared in the hallway and stepped next to them.

"You're Elizabeth's family?" his sceptic look lingered on Red's face but he obviously wasn't keen to start any problems, since he started to explain her condition immediately after seeing their nods.

"She suffered a pulmonary embolism, caused by the fibrosis.!

Red shifted slightly, about to ask for details but was positively surprised when the doctor continued to explain on his own.

"The main artery in her lung is was blocked. We managed to unblock it but the fibrosis will undoubtedly cause it again."

"What can you do?" Sam asked, standing up from his chair he had vacated for the last few hours.

"Except for giving her as much oxygen as possible…nothing much."

"And what do you suggest we could do to prevent it happening again?" Red asked, his voice tense and worried.

"It is not a common thing to do with such a small child, but I would suggest a transplant."

The silence that suddenly hung over them was almost painful and Red groaned inwardly.

"How fast can it be done?" he questioned suddenly, surprising Sam with it.

"She would need to wait for a donor…."

"How. Long?" Red pressed out from between his gritted teeth, his patience thin. He could see the doctor calculating in his mind and finally reaching a result.

"At least four years."

At this moment Red knew that he would never let her wait for so long. In her condition she wouldn't be able to live like a little girl deserved, she would be vegetating. Already starting to plan in his head, he thanked the doctor and listened halfheartedly Sam asking some more questions. Only when he asked if they could see her, Red looked up again. Both were thrilled to hear that they were allowed to visit her and followed the doctor down the hall.

Opening the door, he gestured them inside and reminded them that they had only a few minutes, before a nurse would come and examine the girl once more.

Red's eyes were glued to the bed, where Lizzie was lying in. her eyes were open but she didn't seem to notice them.

"Is she awake?" Red asked the doctor quietly.

"She is heavily sedated. She might not recognize you." He paused for a moment, observing Red and Sam's reactions. When they seemed genuine enough to him, he continued. "The effects of the sedative will wear off soon. I give another hour and she should be coherent again. I'll leave you alone now. If there is anything you need, please call the nurse. She'll be outside."

With that, he turned and closed the door with a final clicking sound.

Red stepped hesitantly closer to the bed and leaned with his arms against the metal railing surrounding it. He looked into the girls eyes and his eyes filled with tears when he saw her blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

"You think she can see us?" Sam asked him from the other side of the bed, but Red could only shrug his shoulders. Never in his life had he felt so helpless before. It wasn't just Lizzie, but also his own daughter and his wife. He was not capable to protect them differently than to vanish, which for everyone was a painful experience he was sure. He couldn't solve this problem which was haunting him and his whole family. He was simply worthless right now. No matter what he tried, it simply didn't seem to be enough. And now this. Lizzie was an innocent and was only here because her parents have needed a Ginny pig for their research. How someone could do something like this to a child, non the less his own, was beyond him. Looking in the girls eyes now, he saw himself in them. Lifeless and unable to do move. Scared and lonely. He lowered his gaze not wanting to be confronted with that fact about himself anymore. His hands grasped the metal tighter until he felt his arms shake. It was time to wake up from his own sedation. It was time to start fighting for his life and for his loved ones. It was time to live and not hide.

Looking back into the blue orbs, he was surprised to see them directed at him now. Not daring to say anything though, Red only lifted a hand and gently pressed it against the girls dark hair, caressing it lovingly.

"Lizzie? Can you hear me?"

His question was met with silence but he thought he had felt a slight movement against his hand.

"Sweetheart?"

This time he was sure he felt her move and bent down, closer to her. Suddenly he was her eyes move a little bit and her lips twitch.

"That's my girl." He smiled softly and nodded at her. "Come on, Lizzie. It's time to wake up now."

Red was aware of Sam's stare, but he couldn't care less right now, as long as Lizzie would listen to him and show more signs of life than a twitch. He almost fainted, when after a minute she opened her mouth and the sweetest, albeit slightly croaked, word came out of her mouth.

"Red…"

This low and breathlessly spoken word, gave him everything he needed. Courage and determination. It was time to fight.

tbc...

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Again I wish you a joyful and very merry Christmas! I will try to upload the last chapter before New Years Eve:)


	14. And the History Begins

First of all I would like to apologies for this (I think) bad and mistake-loaden chapter! I was trying so hard to upload it before New Years Eve that I was a bit...careless with mistakes and such...so I hope You will forgive me and you will like it at least a little bit.

Second of all I want to thank you ALL for sticking with me and reading my fanfiction! It means really a LOT to me!

Ok...I am stopping the babbling for now 8that's what the Epilogue is for after all:))

 **Disclaimer:** Blacklist is not mine (for detials, see Prologue)

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Chapter 13

"Do it." Red barked, slamming his fist against the cupboard right next to him, making the whole thing shudder and threaten to fall apart.

"You are not her legal guardian." The doctor explained, still patiently. "You can not make this decision."

"Do you see her legal guardian anywhere near here? He obviously is overwhelmed by this whole situation and I am not. I have a clear enough head to make this decision." Red yelled, feeling his blood pressure rising dangerously. His rational mind knew that he wasn't right. That he wouldn't be able to decide whether Lizzie would get the transplant or not, but since Sam had taken off to who knows where, he was the only one who was able to.

"I am sorry." The doctor said, genuinely regretting the way this situation had turned out. "My hands are tight and if her father doesn't want her to go through the procedure, we will have to release her in a few days and provide her with a new, more potent oxygen tank."

Red sat down, his head hanging down in defeat. He hadn't expected that his fight for Lizzie's health would be sabotaged by his own friend. When Sam had heard about the danger of her dying during the transplant, he only muttered that he wasn't able to make such a decision and walked off, leaving Red steaming in anger. For a few moments he stayed silent, but then he snorted and an almost hysteric laughter and stood up.

"Is it possible to do it after a while? Say a month or two?"

The doctor smiled at him and nodded. "Of course. We can put her on the list and simply wait."

Red nodded and shook the man's hand. Thanking him quietly, he walked out and leaned against the white wall.

Christmas was approaching with huge paces and he had planned to visit his family for at least a few days. Through one of his contacts he had already let Naomi know he would be there and hadn't heard anything from her, so he guessed she was alright with his visit.

Just when he was about to straighten himself up and walk back into Lizzie's room, he saw Sam coming through the main door. He waited until the man was standing next to him. He had already planned what he would say to him, but Sam beat him to it when he suddenly blurted out an apology.

"I couldn't handle it." He explained, not meeting Red's eyes. "I just…when I heard she could die…I just couldn't say yes."

"She could die without the transplant." Red commented dryly, but in a quiet voice.

"I know. I blew it" Sam sighed. After a moment he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Red smiling at him.

"I told the doctor you would think about it. The transplant can wait till after Christmas."

With that the discussion was over and the friends knew that more words were not needed. Sam had always been a little bit rash when it came to hard decisions and Red had always been there to box him out of any kind of trouble he had gotten himself into because of that. In the beginning Red had felt like he owed it to Sam. They've met in a bar where Red had been drinking away his depression and Sam had pulled him into his world. The military. And Red would be thankful for this until the last breathe left his breast.

"Let's take her with us." Sam smiled and nodded in direction of Lizzie's room, but his smile vanished when he saw Red's frown.

"You want to leave again, don't you?"

"I have to. I cant stay too long and bring attention to you. I've been talking to too many people here already."

"You'll say goodbye though, right?"

Red smiled sadly and walked to the closed door, entering Lizzie's room alone.

The lights were dimmed and he expected the girl to be asleep, but to his surprise her eyes were wide open and her lips behind the oxygen mask pulled into a smile.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Red asked softly, stepping to the bed and taking her small hand in his own.

"Good." Was her answer, squeezing his hand slightly. His other hand wandered to her hair and patted her reassuringly.

"You are a very brave girl, you know that?"

She looked at him questioningly and he laughed silently.

"You don't believe me?"

She shook her head and he nodded in understanding. Looking away for a moment, he spotted a chair next to himself and pulled it closer with one foot. Sitting down on it, Red leaned his chin against their still clasping hands and smiled.

"You are one of the bravest girls I have ever met, Lizzie. You lost everything and you still are smiling and holding on to life. Do you understand that?"

"I think I do." She whispered before a short coughing fit overpowered her. When it passed, Red drew closer to her.

"Never give up, okay? You have to fight and be strong." he told her seriously.

She cocked her head to the side and he had to chuckle. She looked like a lost little puppy.

"Will you try to keep on smiling for me?" he asked, holding her stare.

"They won't let me." She answered him quietly, tears threatening to spill.

"Who won't let you?" Surprise and concerned were painted in clear colors on Red's face. His fingers caressed her baby smooth skin on her hand, in hope she would feel safe enough to talk to him. And she obviously did, cause she opened her mouth again.

"The nightmares." She coughed again, but tried to swallow the rest, so she could talk.

"They won't leave me alone. I see the fire every night. And the codes. The names…" her breathing was starting to get labored again, but Red's quiet "Shhh…" and calm patting on her arm, calmed her down and she felt her eyes get heavy.

"Will you protect me from them now?"

The question hurt him like a twisting knife in his heart.

"I cannot." He whispered, throat closing up with tears. "Sam will try though." He tried to reassure her. "I need to leave again, Lizzie."

She didn't answer. She didn't cry or plead for him to stay. And Red felt even worse than the last time. He kissed her round, albeit pale cheek and slowly walked out of the room and out of her life. At least he thought so.

A few days later…

Christmas feelings were something that Red had cherished since he had met Naomi. Before that he hadn't known what Christmas was. She had taught him what this holiday was about. How to celebrate it, how to feel it. Now that he was in his car on the way home to visit his family on Christmas day, all the experiences he had made in the time being hidden, were like a distant movie and the only thing that mattered was that he would see his little girl again. She must have grown since the last time he had seen her, he mused and smiled.

Only a few kilometers were left on his journey and Red whistled to some old Christmas carol playing in the radio, when his car suddenly gave a loud groan and started to slow down.

"Damn…" he cursed under his breath and started to gently press down on the breaks. It was snowing outside and he was sure that under the snow was a thick blanket of ice, which could play a dangerous trick on him. When the car finally stopped, Red leaned back in the seat and breathed in deeply, holding his breath and exhaling slowly to calm himself.

"Well…" he groaned and nodded. "Seems like I will have to walk. Oh sweet memories of the training and…"

He never had been prone to talk to himself, but since he went into hiding, he didn't have company that often and he started to tell himself stories, only to hear a voice in the cheap rooms he rented or borrowed.

The white blanket surrounded him mercilessly for the next half an hour of his walk and when he finally started to see houses in the far distance, he almost sobbed in happiness.

It took almost an hour to reach the street on which his house stood. Reaching it, he didn't bother knocking or ringing the bell, he simply used his key with shivering hands. He expected warmth hitting him in the face and the sweet smell of cookies baking in the oven. But what hit him first, was the rancid odor of rotting meat and the sweet, but sickening smell of blood. His own blood seemed to froze over and his body refused to move, listening and waiting for some kind of danger to pounce at him. But nothing came. Everything was silent and he finally started to move frantically into the house, finding almost every furniture overturned and broken into pieces. Panic blossomed in his chest, taking away his breath and when he entered the kitchen he almost gagged in disgust. Partially dried blood covered the kitchen table and chairs, a part of the floor and splattered on the cupboards.

"No…" he breathed, tears clouding his sight. Like a crazed man he ran through the house, up the stairs and into his daughters room but found it empty. He didn't know if he was relieved to find it empty or shocked but he didn't give himself time to ponder this thought. The smell of rotting once again pushed into his nose and he held his arm in front of his face. He searched the house and finally, almost stepping onto him, he found the lifeless body of the German Shephard, he knew Naomi had bought only a few months ago.

His stomach turned and he didn't bother to run into the bathroom to get sick. He sat down next to the corps and fat, salty tears started to spill out of his eyes. Deep sobs were torn from his lungs and occasionally his wife's and daughters names left his trembling lips.

Hours later, when the house was already bathed in darkness, Red finally got up from the floor and stumbled out into the cold night. Through his grief and sorrow, he saw only blinding rage. He knew who did this. He knew who took his family and he knew whom he needed to find to find his family or at least get his revenge. Halfway back to his car, he suddenly stopped, rooted to the spot. Lizzie. They found his family. They could find her too. More times than he could count, he had wished for her to forget about her past life and now she was dangerously close to being caught by it.

Suddenly his thoughts came to a staggering stop.

Her memories.

In lightening fast speed, Red got his cell phone out and dialed a number and breathed in relief when the gruff voice answered with a curt "Hello?"

"Angus? We were talking about hypnosis the other day, do you remember?"

"Red? Do you have any idea what time…"

"Do you?" Red barked

"I do but…"

"I will need your professional opinion in a few days on a young subject. I will transfer the destination and subject file in the next 24 hours."

He didn't need to say or hear more and simply hung up.

His next phone call was made only seconds later and this time he smiled slightly when he hung up.

Lizzie wouldn't need to worry about her lungs or her past very soon. Everything would be just fine and she would never remember him or the dark life she had left behind her. Ever.

The End (and the rest is historyJ)

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Please let me know if you could enjoy this chapter at least a little bit!

I wish all of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR and ALL THE BEST from the bottom of my heart!


	15. Epilogue

Now, here we go with the last part of the story and I will wait with my babbling until the end of it;)

 **Disclaimer:** Blakclist is not mine (for details see Prologue)

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Epilogue

Red sat on his comfortable leather seat in the new car he had bought only a few weeks ago and stared out of the window at the small house in front of him. He wasn't ashamed to admit to himself that he was nervous. His hands weren't shaking but he certainly could feel a quiver in his belly. He was only supposed to deliver a letter to his friend and vanish again. But being so near to the only thing worth something in his life, was making him shake inside. Slowly he got out of the car and held on to the letter as if it was his lifeline. The only thing keeping him from hopping back into the car and flee. Although Red knew that no one had followed him, he looked around suspiciously, before opening the small gate and stepping onto the property. Reaching the door, he sighed in relief and bent down to put the letter through the slit in the door, but just when he was about to let go of the paper, he almost jumped out of his skin when a confident "Hi" rang out behind him. Whirling around, he gasped when he saw the little girl in front of him. Dark hair floating in the wind, cheeks tinted healthily and her eyes so blue and unafraid.

"Uh…"was his only replay and he found himself unable to find any words to say to her.

"Did you want to talk to my dad?" she asked him, stepping closer, her eyes narrowing.

"I…I…no." He said, looking down at the letter and remembering why he had come here in the first place. "I only wanted to deliver this letter."

"You don't look like a postman." The girl countered, making another step towards him and stemming her fist on her hips in a stance that only could make a child look cute.

"I'm…freelance." He said, dumbfounded by her cheekiness. "Could you give this to him." He stretched out his arm, offering the letter to her but she didn't budge from her position, suddenly glaring at him.

"I am not supposed to take anything from strangers."

Strangers.

Red had to forcibly hold back a flinching when he heard her say that. He was a stranger to her now. His Lizzie had undergone the transplantation and the hypnosis and both therapies had worked beautifully and her past life was wiped out of her brain.. Only would she never remember any of it. Or him.

"That's right, honey." He smiled at her and nodded. "You really should be careful when it comes to strangers." He turned his back to her and quickly slipped the letter through the slit. "Just tell your dad that the letter is here is here, ok?"

He waited until she nodded and was delighted to see a blending smile appear on her face.

"Maybe it is from my aunt." She clapped her hands together and ran towards the door. "She wanted to write me for my birthday."

She was about to unlock the door and disappear inside the house, when she suddenly stopped and turned to Red. Her smile was still in place and her eyes were sparkling with happiness.

"Have a good evening, Sir. And thanks for the letter."

"Your welcome." He whispered and watched her close the door. She would be disappointed to find out that the letter wasn't for her. Selfishly Red believed that it was worth the fact that he had been able to stand in the brightness of that smile. She may not remember him, but he would never forget her and do anything in his power to keep that smile on her face.

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I would like to thank every single one of you for all your comments, fav's and follows! It really means a lot to me and is most of the time the only motivtion I have or need to keep on writing! I do have another story idea brewing but it might take a while till I will actually write it down! So, you havent read the last of me but for now I wish you all the best and thank you again for reading and alll the support!


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